Medicos against increasing pension age

The government is all out for increasing the pension age of doctors despite protest from the medical fraternity, who allege it as a move to help a few in the administrative wing whose tenure ends this March. Moreover, the government is for increasing the retirement age at a time hundreds of doctors are in waiting in the PSC list that has been pending for a long time. 

It is learned that there is much pressure from political parties, office of the Directorate of Medical Education and Directorate of Health Services even though the health department is known to have raised certain objections.  The proposal with the health department is to increase the retirement age of doctors in the DME from 60 to 63 and those with the health service from  56 to 58. 

All the major associations such as the Kerala Government Medical College Teachers Association (KGMCTA), Junior Doctors Association (JDA), Kerala Medical Postgraduates Association (KMPGA) and Kerala Government Medical Officers Association (KGMOA) and Kerala Government Specialist Doctors Association (KGSDA) point out that increasing pension age will only hamper employment opportunities.

Meanwhile Health Minister V S Sivakumar said that no such file has come before him. ''Nothing of that such sort is being discussed now,'' he said. However, it is known that the department has already gone ahead with the proposal under much pressure.

Source: The newindianexpress 

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/425278/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/26-01-2015#page/4/1

Wayanad MC: doubts raised over land taken from Trust

The decision to take over 50 acres of land offered by a Trust for the proposed Wayanad Medical College has raised serious concern among the revenue officials who allege that it would only lead to diluting the Kerala Land Reforms Act and the Kerala Land Assignment Act. The decision is learned to have been taken in a haste without looking into the legal aspects and also defying the Land Board and Revenue department's contention that it will only create a precedence for regularisiing illegal lands held by encroachers.

Though the cabinet decided last week to take over the 50 acres of land from the 150 acres that the Trust possessed, highly placed officials fear that the decision was a move to regularise its remaining land. Though the land is being taken back, the government has not taken any decision with respect to the remaining land, which the Land Board has already stated that if a part of the land is utilised for any other purpose than for which it is exempted, then the exemption will be lost and the land will be vested with the government.

The Land Board and the revenue department had from the beginning noted that the whole land belonged to the government and no regularisation can be given. They found that the Trust had got ‘’purchase certificate’’ for the land that is only given for cultivating tenants as per the Kerala Land reforms Act. As per the land reforms Act, purchase certificate is issued only to natural Human beings and not to companies or trusts. As such the Land Board had informed that the whole land belonged to the Government.

With respect to the remaining land in possession of the trust, Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash said that a decision can be taken only after looking all legal aspects. When pointed out that the Land Board has raised objections, he said ''the trust claims to have all documents. On the remaining land, the government will have to look into all the legal issues related to it.''

Source: The Newindianexpress

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/425278/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/26-01-2015#page/5/1

Mookunnimala: Quarrying continues despite ban

Throwing to the winds the District Collector's ban orders, quarrying activities at Mookunnimala still continue without any hindrance. A day after prohibitory orders were issued against quarrying and crusher activities, mining activities are still on at Mookkunnimala with a majority of the units functioning on Tuesday and loads of metal being transported out of the hill. Express caught up with a number of loaded trucks coming out of the quarries on Tuesday also.

Coming to know about the drastic violation of orders issued by him, District Collector Biju Prabhakar told Express that the vehicles would be seized if it continues. The Collector said that he will use all his magisterial powers if quarry activities continue in the region. When asked about quarry activities continuing on Tuesday, he said, ''prohibition has already come into effect from Monday itself. But a day is needed to serve the notice and the village officer has been entrusted to serve the notice personally.''

He said that strict action, including seizing of quarries, equipment and vehicles, will be taken if the quarry owners violate the prohibitory orders. Noting that the prohibitory orders were issued on Monday night itself, he said that the Village officer will issue the orders to all the quarry owners by Tuesday evening. The information has been passed on to the City Police commissioner, Rural SP and three Police stations under which the Moookunnimala comes.

The Express while talking to the people at Edacode near Mookunnimala came to know that blasts were heard from the hill from the morning till evening on Tuesday and vehicles carrying the metals were seen going out of the quarries from the morning. They said that much activity was seen in the hills on Tuesday also.

Source: The New Indian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/421521/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/21-01-2015#page/17/1

Illegal Quarryng in Mookunnimala: lapses come to the fore

At a time the district administration points out its inability to shut down all the quarries in Mookunnimala, serious lapse on the part of the district authorities and the Commissionerate of Land Revenue has come to the light the delay in implementing the government's order of closing down all the illegal quarries for the last three years.

The government had written about ten official letters from 2012 to the district administration and the Land Revenue Commissioner for cancelling the pattayam (title deed) to the lands given exclusively for  Rubber cultivation and to deposit them with the Land Bank if quarry activities were being conducted in those lands. Though a report has been sought for the last three years, the two offices have been keeping its silence.

The first communication was sent on July 13, 2012 from the Revenue Principal secretary to the district collector and the Commissionerate of Land Revenue regarding cancelling the pattayam and depositing the land in the Land bank if quarry activities were being conducted in the land given exclusively for rubber plantation. Reminders were sent on August 1, 2012 and November 30, 2012. Apart from this, the government had also sent semi official letters in January, May, September and October 2013. In 2014, the same communication was sent in January and February.

The government had sent the communications based on various reports that illegal quarry activities were being done in Mookunnimala in violation of all rules. It should also be noted that the Commissionerate of Land Revenue has not responded to the directions of the Government even when a report from the same office had recommended to the government appropriate action against all the illegal quarries. The report said that the land where illegal quarries was taking place could be taken by the government as it violated the rules. The land was given for ruber cultivation as per the Special Rules for Assignment of Government Lands for Rubber Cultivation Act. It had also mentioned that land was illegally transferred, which could not be done as per the special rules.

Fresh row over Kovalam Land

The controversial Kovalam Palace land has once again come under the scanner with the government, despite having documentary evidence of its ownership, not taking over about 20 acres of land worth Rs 400 crore.   

The village records show that an extent of 18.176 acres in block 14, resurvey number 7/1 in Vizhinjam, is still in the name of ITDC even after a portion of the land was sold to a hotel group. Though in the ownership of ITDC, the government is alleged to have no access to the land, which is again becoming controversial.  

During the sales deed, it is alleged that the government had not gone through the Land procedures. When a part of the land was sold to a hotel group,  the government is alleged to have not demarcated the government land from the whole extent, thus in a way losing the prime land to private players.  

As per records with the Vizhinjam village office, resurvey number 7 in block 14 from which the land was sold to the hotel group had a total extent of of 46.18 acres. Of this, the Hotel group was handed over 26.567 acres in resurvey number 7/1-1. A religious place also holds land to an extent of 1.43 acre. And the remaining 18.176 acres is still in the name of ITDC in the Thandaper register.

From the village records, it is clear that when the controversial land was sold to the hotel group, the government has not done 'subdivision' of the land, which was mandatory when giving pattayam (title deed) to government lands. It is quite evident from the Village officials that there exists no subdivision record with them. It is necessary that the village office maintains the subdivision record once it involves handing over public lands to individuals or others. Subdivision is to be made in order to demarcate the boundary and any government land can be sold only after the boundaries of the government land is demarcated.

Source: The New Indian express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/418081/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/16-01-2015#page/4/1

Raisin age of PG Medicos raises apprehension

In a move raising suspicions on government's intention to raise the retirement age of Medicos, the upper age limit of service quota doctors for PG Courses has been increased. The decision has already drawn flak with a majority coming out saying that it could be the first step towards increasing the retirement age of doctors and restricting recruitment.    

As per the new guidelines for PG Medical Courses, the upper age limit for PG Degree course is 52 while its 53 for PG Diploma, and has to furnish a bond to work for 5 years, which means they will be in service even after retiring at 56. The degree course is for three years and diploma for 2 years. As per the bond, they should serve for 5 years, which means until 60 years they can be in service. 

Once the doctors complete the course, they are bound to work for another 5 years, which means no recruitment is done.  This is clearly a step towards  increasing the retirement age, the doctors said.  

Stating that there was no issue with respect to the increase of age, Kerala Government Medical Officers Association state president Dr E P Mohanan said ''as such there is no issue and recruitment is taking place. The admission in the service quota is like a bonus for the service that a doctor has rendered all his life.'' 

Moreover, he said that the bond is not mandatory unless the government insists it.  When asked if it would not be draining the exchequer as the doctors pursuing the course are studying with government money, Mohanan said ''the issue raises only if deputation comes into affect. As of now, no deputation is given.'' 

Meanwhile,  Kerala Government Specialist Doctors Association (KGSDA) secretary Dr Sunjith Ravi mentioned that deputation should not be given.  Apart from the increase of age, he pointed out that there was a disparity with regard to eligibility.  ''The Prospects points out that service candidates selected for/undergone PG Degree course will not be eligible for selection under service quota for a second time. However, a candidate who has obtained PG Diploma under service quota is eligible to apply for degree course in the same specialty and is entitled to get service quota benefit.  It is injustice to applicants who have entered the health service and the government should look into it,'' he said. 

Source: The New Indian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/411720/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/07-01-2015#page/4/1 

Majority of Medical Lab courses have no approval

When quality of medical laboratories in the state are already in question, the courses offered by a majority of these private laboratories are further challenged with most of them having no approval from the government. Apart from this, most of the labs that offers various courses have no qualified and separate teaching staff, according to the latest report of the Directorate of Economics and Statistics on private medical laboratories in Kerala 2014.

Only 37 of the the 204 private medical laboratories that offers various certificate, diploma and other courses have government approval. The maximum number of private labs that offers such courses are in Ernakulam and Thrissur districts and these two districts also top the list of labs that do not have approval.

As per the report of the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, certificate courses of 14 laboratories of a total of 71 are approved.Ernakulam has only one approved lab out of the 34 labs that offer certificate courses. In Thrissur, all the 13 labs that provide the course have no approval.

With regard to diploma courses, 60 labs that provide them are not approved and only 18 have the government's nod. Here again Ernakulam and Thrissur top the list. In Ernakulam only the courses of three labs of the 32 labs that offer diploma are approved. And in Thrissur, only 2 of the total 16 are government approved.

When contacted, Health Minister V S Sivakumar agreed that the government has no restriction on the private laboratories and the courses that are offered. ''Now any one can open a lab at any place by having a certificate from the Local Bodies. This will change once the Kerala Clinical Establishments (Registration, Regulation and Accreditation) Bill will come into affect. This will be introduced in the next assembly session, which will help in monitoring the numerous clinical laboratories in the state,'' he said.

The report also points out there are not much teaching staff in the private Medical Laboratories. ''There are only 53 teaching staff working in the Private Medical Laboratories of the State. Prima facie this looks senseless, but true. Because many of the Private Medical Laboratories have no separate teaching staff post, and these are managed by the regular technical staff,'' the report said.

Source: The Newindian express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/408308/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/02-01-2015#page/6/1