Resurvey Proceedings: Govt to Probe Discrepancies

The #government has decided to probe into all the discrepancies cropped up in the inquiry conducted by the #Survey Regional Joint Director (Northern Region), who had undergone suspension many times, with respect to the re-survey proceedings in #Thrissur #district. The investigation by the #revenue #department will look into if the report had been prepared by suppressing the actual facts and merely targetted at some officials.

Stating that several complaints have been raised against the report of the Regional Joint Director (RJD), Revenue Minister #Adoor #Prakash said that an official in the Revenue department will probe all the discrepancies. He also said that the investigation would also look into all aspects of the report.

The Express had earlier reported that the inquiry report of the #RJD was not based on any relevant facts and was targetted at #Survey #Additional #Director E R #Sobhana, who had taken several steps against corrupt officials.

When asked if the probe will look into reports that a top official pending inquiry in the #Kadakampally #Land #scam had purposefully endorsed the name of RJD K Surendran for the investigation, Prakash said that everything will come under the purview of the investigation. There were allegations that when a complaint received by the Chief Minister's office was forwarded to the Survey Directorate, it was handled by Section A that only dealt with transfers and leave. Even though a a clerk in that Section had noted in the file that the letter should be forwarded to the Vigilance section, it is alleged that the official mentioned earlier had recommended Surendran's name even without looking into his past history. 

Source: The New Indian Express

http://epaper.dinamani.com/310720/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/26-07-2014#page/4/1

SAI Scores a 'Hole-in-One'

At a time when the price of land at Kowdiar ranges from Rs 50 lakh to Rs one crore, the government has leased out Golf Course, prime green stretch of land in the heart of the city, for a mere Rs 1 per acre to the Sports Authority of India. The government had taken such a stand without looking into the fact that the lease amount should have to commensurate with the value of the land that is leased out. The government has decided to hand over 25.38 acres of land of the golf course to SAI.

It is learned that the decision of lease of Rs 1 per acre per year was taken by the Cabinet. Highly placed sources said that the officials in the revenue department had voiced against the meager lease amount as they noted that the lease that was fixed did not commensurate with the value of the land.

It has also to be noted that SAI has been given all the right to use the buildings, structures and other facilities at the Golf Course for Rs 1 per acre for a period of 33 years and extendable later for a further period of 33 years.

Source: #The New Indian Express 

http://epaper.dinamani.com/309548/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/24-07-2014#page/17/1

Resurvey probe suppressing facts

Thiruvananthapuram: An inquiry into the re-survey procedures in Thrissur district by the Survey Regional Joint Director (RJD), Northern region, who had undergone suspension many times, is alleged to be conducted by suppressing the actual facts, targetted at the Survey Additional Director and Vigilance officer, who has taken many steps against corrupt officials.

In the RJD's report, it is said that the official had changed the ownership of land to individuals in Thrissur District under the cover of a proceeding issued for Palakkad District. However, while preparing the report, the RJD seems to have ignored the fact that the same proceedings were also endorsed for Thrissur District. Moreover, the proceedings that was attached along with the investigation report was devoid of the endorsement part, which only raises doubts about the investigation, highly placed sources said.

The report filed by Joint director K Surendran, which is in possession of Express, said that the then Thrissur Survey superintendent E R Sobhana, who is now Additional Director and Vigilance officer, had wrongly prepared the Basic Tax Register that had led the individuals possess dewaswam lands and other public lands. She had prepared the BTR in the name that was entered in Column 23 even when the procedure was to prepare it in the name recorded in Column 22 of the Land register. However, Sobhana is said to have followed the proceedings of the Additional Director, who in 1994 had directed that the BTR in Thrissur and Palakkad districts can be prepared in the name entered in Column 23. The proceedings were issued after wide spread complaints were raised that the BTR was not prepared in the name of the tenant but in the name of those in Column 23, who are former Janmies like Maharajas and Temples.

Source: The New Indian Express

http://epaper.dinamani.com/309003/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/23-07-2014#page/5/1

DHS under cloud over appointment of Surgeon

The Directorate of Health Services has come under fire in the appointment of an ortho-surgeon as Junior Consultant (Surgery) in District Hospital, Wadakkanchery (Thrissur), even before the exam results were out and by surpassing the seniority list.

The DHS appointed Dr P C Revinson at the district hospital Wadakkanchery as Junior Consultant surgery on June 2. However, the DHS was forced to relieve him from the post of Junior Consultant Surgery after pressure mounted with respect to irregularity in the posting.

Though Revinson has been relieved from the duty after four days of his joining on June 4, it has been alleged that DHS has been showing favoritism and had bypassed all relevant norms, especially in appointments. When qualified persons are made to wait for years, the DHS is giving appointments to those who have just completed the course.

Source: The New Indian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/300095/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/07-07-2014#page/6/1

Specialist Doctors Peeved over Disparity

The Specialist Doctors in the Health Service have raised concern over disparity in work, promotion and raised other issues while their counterpart under the Medical Education Department are enjoying an upper hand. Working at par with those in the medical education department, the specialist doctors demand better treatment from the government.

With the inequality between the Specialist doctors in the Health Service and the medicos under the Medical Education department, the Kerala Government Specialist Doctors Association (KGSDA), which had recently got the recognition, is all set to approach the government and demand a serious approach to the issues of those working in the Health Service.

Pointing out that there was much inequality when coming to administrative cadre, salary, promotions and a lot more, KGSDA secretary Dr Sunjith Ravi said that they would be approaching the Health Minister and raise their concerns. ''We are all medicos working with the government. But when it comes to the health service, the government has a different approach,'' he said.

Source: The New Indian express 

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/300095/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/07-07-2014#page/4/1

Land Acquisition Act: Draft Rules given to State

The National Centre for Land Governance (NCLG), a Central Government initiative under the Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances, has submitted to the state government draft rules for the newly introduced Land Acquisition Act. Though the Centre had introduced the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act in January, the state government had not yet framed the Rules that had led to many issues related to land acquisition for many of the development projects.

The NCLG submitted the draft Rules to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Revenue secretary Satyajeeth Rajan on Wednesday. In the rules framed, the focus has been given to social impact assessment study and social impact management plans, sources said. The Rules contain rehabilitation package to the land owners, price fixation of lands, acquisition procedures and a lot more, they said.

Source

The New Indian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/298510/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/04-07-2014#page/5/1