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

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