Waynad Medical College: Row over Govt's move to acquire Land

The state government has decided to take over 50 acres of land from a Trust for the proposed Wayanad Medical College despite the Kerala Land Board opposing it stating that it was government land. The decision was taken last week at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

Though the government has decided to take over the land, the State Land Board has still raised objection stating that there was no need for any favour from the Trust as it was government land. The Trust had got ‘’purchase certificate’’ for the land which is only given for cultivating tenants as per the Kerala Land reforms Act. According to the Act, purchase certificate is issued only to Human beings and not to companies or trusts, the sources said and added that as such the Land Board had raised the objection and conveyed the message to the Government that the whole land belonged to the Government.

The Trust had stated that it will provide 50 acres of land from the 150 acres that it possessed. The sources said that the Government's decision to take the 50 acres of land of the Trust was a move to regularise its remaining land. 

Source: The New Indian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/291097/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/20-06-2014#page/5/1

health, Eco Mass gathering at sabarimala

For the first time in the country, a multi-dimensional study on health and ecological impact of mass gathering at a religious place is being held in Sabarimala, where a large number of pilgrims are a potential risk for the transmission of infectious diseases between pilgrims and to the indigenous population.

The study conducted by the Santhigiri Social Research Institute and the Global health Institute of Public Health aims at exploring three domains with respect to mass gathering such as bio-medical, environmental and psycho-social problems. ''This is the first multi-dimensional study focusing on health, environmental and socio-cultural issues,'' said Dr K Rajasekharan Nayar, Santhigiri Social Research Institute chief Fellow and Principal investigator of the study.

Noting that mass gathering health/medicine is still in its infancy in India and there is a need to explore and document the domains that are part of this area of research, Nayar said that mass gatherings are regarded as potential risks for transmission of infectious diseases. ''It is high time that we are aware of the impact of health and ecological impact of mass gatherings. Sabarimala gains significance where we have the highest concentration of people for a short period in a short space,'' he said and added that several studies on mass gathering have been conducted world wide. The study on mass gathering at Haj is a typical example, he said.

Source: The New Indian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/289031/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/16-06-2014#page/6/1

National Status for RCC still a distant dream

National status for the Regional Cancer Centre still remains a dream even as the institute has got Rs 120 crore from the Centre government for upgrading it into the status of a state cancer institute.  It is more than two years that the proposal has been pending with the Centre government for elevating the RCC to a national cancer institute status. 

With a new government at the Centre, the state government is sceptical of getting the national status. Though the officials point out that proposal has not been shelved, they said that the planning commission has for the time being rejected the proposal because of certain finacial crisis. There was a proposal for three such institutes in the country – one in Delhi, Eastern region and southern region. Though the proposal for Delhi has been approved, the two others are still pending. 

Health Minister V S Shivakumar said that he would take up the issue with the new Health Minister at the Centre. ''It was the Centre Government's policy to accord National Status to Regional Cancer Centres. We will have to see what the new government thinks about it,'' he said.

Noting that the Centre government has allotted Rs 120 crore for RCC to upgrade it into the status of state cancer institute, Shivakumr said that the State status will be a stepping stone to the National Status for the institute. ''Once the works for the state status is complete, we would look for a national status,'' he said. 

Dream comes true for former Kerala Soccer skipper ten long years of wait

Dream comes true for Former Football Skipper Sylvester Ignatius, who has been for the last ten years dreaming of a home in the piece of land promised by the government soon after he led the team to lift the Santosh Trophy for the state in 2004. All bottlenecks have been cleared with respect of the land provided to him at Valiyathura near here.

The Thiruvananthapuram district collector has been asked to earmark the five cents of land already allotted to him out of 20 cents of land that was given as Perpetual lease (Kuthakapattam). The Collector was also asked to retrieve the remaining 15 cents of land and attach it to the Land Bank. The government gave the direction after a meeting was held here last week, in which officials from the revenue department and the district administration were present.




Though the government has taken such a stand, Ignatius is still doubtful to begin the construction of the home. ''I am still concerned if I could start the construction. As there is no stay for the land, the construction can be started. But if the person who got the Kuthakapatam again goes to the court, then what will happen?,'' he said. 

Source: The New Indian Express
http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/283968/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/06-06-2014#page/4/1

Kadakampally Land: Govt allows to remit Land tax

The land owners in Kadakampally Village can heave a sigh of relief with the government directing the revenue officials to collect land tax for survey numbers which are not disputed. The direction was given after a meeting convened by Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash took stock of the issues related to non collection of land tax in the Village.

Several complaints such as difficulties in getting educational loans were raised by people whose land were not involved in the case. The officials have been instructed to collect tax for survey numbers that were not included in the case pending in the High Court, Prakash said.

The Revenue secretary was also directed to take steps to get copies of the 'thandaper register from the CBI, which is probing the Kadakampally land scam. Revenue Secretary, Law Secretary, Land Board Commissioner, District Collector and Survey Director were present in the meeting.

Source: The New Indian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/283968/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/06-06-2014#page/3/1

Aranmula Airport: Govt bid to sell puramboke land

Even though the government said that it would not challenge the Green Tribunal decision in Aranmula Airport issue, they were all out to help the KGS Group, promoters of the Airport, by proposing to sell 40 acres of puramboke land in the project area.

In a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, it was decided that the puramboke land in the project site having an approximate extent of 40 acres will be sold for the purpose of the project at a price  fixed by the revenue Department as per prevailing market rate.

The Minutes of the meeting convened on February 7 also said that the application for exemption for land ceiling for the proposed land in the project area should be examined on the same line as was done for the land for Medical College in favour of Abraham Kalamannil. In the meeting, it was said that the government had the power to give exemption for such projects for public purpose.

Pointing out that puramboke land was public property and the government could not sell the land, highly placed officials said purumboke land are generally given away for public purpose. As per the Kerala Land Assignment Act, puromboke lands cannot be assigned as such. However, the government has the powers to assign purumboke lands only for public purpose, which the officials said was not involved here.  ''It is only for a business purpose that the purumboke land is being sold, which is against the law,'' they said. 

Source: the New Indian express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/282928/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/04-06-2014#page/4/1