The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Chandy seeks action against Ministers

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Saturday, Nov 24, 2007
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Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Chandy seeks action against Ministers

For securing the release of CPI ouncillor from police custody

‘Ministers’ action amounted to breach of oath of office’
‘AIYF stir was a bid to divert attention from price rise’

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy demanded on Friday that cases be registered against Ministers C. Divakaran and K.P. Rajendran who had secured the release of Thiruvananthapuram City Corporation councillor Rakhi Ravikumar from police custody.

Addressing a press conference here, the Opposition leader said the Councillor had been arrested for a non-bailable offence. She had slapped a woman police constable. A case should be registered against the councillor for that.

The Ministers’ action amounted to breach of oath of office, interference with the administration of justice and flouting of collective responsibility. Action against them was necessary to ensure the rule of law, he said.

Mr. Chandy said the councillor and other AIYF activists had staged a protest against a retail chain in Thiruvananthapuram in a bid to divert attention from price rise. The councillor headed the standing committee of the City Corporation, which could cancel the licence of the retail chain, if needed.

Mr. Chandy noted that the prices of commodities such as rice, onion and vegetables had increased substantially in recent months. This was not the result of increase in fuel costs, as fuel costs were lower than at the time of assumption of power by the LDF government. The government had failed to intervene in the markets effectively.

The Opposition leader said the Chief Minister, and not the High Court, was responsible for a fall in the price of coconut. Though the government should have announced the support price for coconuts by February, the order was issued only in July. The Cabinet took a decision on the procurement price only three months later. So far, no funds had been sanctioned and no coconut had been procured.

NABARD procurement of copra during season was not substantial, as the government had failed to nominate a procurement agency. The post of Agriculture Production Commission was vacant from November last year to April this year.

Mr. Chandy demanded that the recommendations of the committee for revision of Kerala Educational Rules should only be implemented by consensus and discussion. The move to hand over administration of educational institutions to local self-government institutions would have far reaching repercussions, he said . They were sought to be given disciplinary powers over teachers when they did not have such powers even over their own staff. The proposal for entrusting the appointment in aided schools to the Public Service Commission was defective and should not be implemented unilaterally, Mr. Chandy said.

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