Kerala Govt prohibits tree felling in HML Land

The Kerala government that has initiated resumption of land in the illegal possession of Harrisons Malayalam Ltd (HML), has directed the officials not to allow cutting of trees or grant possession certificates for the holdings of the Company. The Special Officer, appointed as per the directive of the High Court to resume the land from HML, issued the directions to all the village and Taluk officers.

In the direction, the officials have been asked not to allow any change in the tenure of the land, such as leasing, ownership change or otherwise. The transfer of lands should also be not allowed, the directive specifies.

The officials in the village and Taluk offices have been instructed to report all illegal actions on the part of the HML to the Special officer, highly placed officials said. ''Any action that is against the proceedings should be intimated to the Special Officer by the concerned officers, including the Forest officials,'' the sources said. They also said that the company should get prior permission of the Special Officer with regard to any issues related to the plantations.

 Source: New Indian Express

Read more here: http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/167442/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/03-10-2013#page/3/1

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/c/1767614

Aranmula Airfield: Kerala Govt says promoters have right for exemption

Even though strong protest is brewing among social , political and environment groups against the proposed private airport project at Aranmula, the government has intimated the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest stating that the KGS Group, promotoers of the airfield, has a right to claim exemption under the Kerala Land Reforms Act.

In the letter sent to the union ministry of Environment and forests , Principal secretary, Department of Environment Pradeep Kumar has said that the proponent has a right to claim exemption under the Kerala Land Reforms Act on the basis of Government order dated September 2010, which was issued while granting' in principle approval' for the said Green Field project. However, this is against the Cabinet's decision that land will be acquired only under the existing rules.

Kozhencherry Taluk Land Board had a few months ago declared 232 acres of land at Aranmula that forms part of the proposed airport site as excess land, and directed the Revenue officials concerned to take possession of the excess land, invoking the relevant provisions in the Kerala Land Reforms Act.

The Environment secretary states that no permission will be issued for filling the land except filing required for airside activities. The government land will be transferred to the promoter at market price as per established procedure. 

source and for more : http://newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/State-government-letter-on-airport-project-kicks-up-a-row/2013/10/08/article1825103.ece 

Regional drug testing lab facing uncertain future

The first regional drugs testing laboratory in Ernakulam, which was set to be launched this year seems to be facing an uncertain future with the delay in creating posts and a section of the employees allegedly scuttling the project for fear of transfers.
Though the building work for the laboratory has been completed and the necessary equipment installed by and large, the issue of sanctioning of posts has led to the delay of the launch, State Drugs Controller P Hariprasad said.
The file is now pending in the Chief Minister’s office and once it is cleared, there will be no further delay, he said.
Though the Drugs Control Department had recommended 79 posts for the regional drug testing laboratory, the Finance Department had sanctioned only 30 posts. However, the number of posts was further cut down to 26 allegedly after a section of the employees approached the government. The government seems to have decided to stick to 30 posts. Sources said that a few employees in the Drug Testing Laboratory at Thiruvananthapuram by using political clout had delayed the sanctioning of the posts for fear of getting transferred.
Once the regional lab is set up in Ernakulam, promotions can happen and some of those working at the Thiruvananthapuram lab would be shifted. Moreover, there is also an issue with respect to the post of Chief Analyst after the Drugs Department had recommended such a post at Ernakulam also.
Apart from the lab at Ernakulam, the fate of other regional drugs testing laboratories at Thrissur and Kozhikode is also uncertain. Though the government claims that the works have progressed, lack of sufficient funds is said to be causing problems.
The regional drug testing laboratories were envisaged after it was found that the lone laboratory in Thiruvananthapuram could not handle the bulk samples from across the state. Though about 5000 samples are collected a month from the market for conducting tests, the laboratory in Thiruvananthapuram has the facility to check only a limited number.
Moreover, there is also a backlog of three to six months in announcing the test results.

Source: The New Indian Express

http://newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/Drug-testing-lab-in-Ernakulam-facing-uncertain-future/2013/10/07/article1822569.ece

Vakkom report gathering dust

Another fact-finding report of the Congress is gathering dust with the party yet to discuss the report of the Vakkom Purushothaman panel, set up by the KPCC to probe into the poor performance of the party in the last Assembly elections.
When other parties like the CPM and the CPI having already done a review of their performance during the election, the ruling Congress is yet to find out how it fell short at 38 as against the high expectations...read more... http://expressbuzz.com/states/kerala/vakkom-report-gathering-dust/325570.html

Kathakali Club demands withdrawal of brochure

Expressing concern over the portrayal of the Vivek Vilasini’s picture that depicts a Kathakali artist as a muscle man in a loin cloth, in the brochure of Kochi-Muzirius Biennial,those associated with the Ernakulam Kathakali club said that the picture wounded the sentiments of Kathakali artists. They demanded the withdrawal of the brochure..... read more http://expressbuzz.com/cities/kochi/Kathakali-Club-demands-withdrawal-of-brochure/325575.html

Vulgar portrayal of Kathakali kicks up row

The Kochi-Muziris Biennale brochure has kick started a controversy among the Kerala art world, with Kathakali artists and art lovers coming up against the vulgar portrayal of the traditional art form in it....http://expressbuzz.com/cities/kochi/vulgar-portrayal-of-kathakali-kicks-up-row/325188.html

M F Husain no more

India`s most celebrated painter Maqbool Fida Husain died in a London hospital late Wednesday night, according to reports from U K.

He was 95 and had been unwell for quite some days.

Husain was in self-imposed exile since 2006 after Hindu groups threatened him for his paintings of Hindu deities. The controversy was related to his paintings of Hindu deities in the nude, which were originally painted in the 1970s, were interpreted as anti-Hindu. After eight legal cases and death threats in India, he was on a self imposed exile. He had been living in Dubai and London, and was offered citizenship by Qatar in January 2010. He had accepted the offer.

One of the world`s greatest masters, Husain`s paintings regularly fetched over 1 million dollars at auctions....more here...http://keralz.com/news/india/2011/june/jun2.html