Arjun Raghunath
The New Indian Express
16 Feb 2011
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Government will be seeking a high-level probe by the apex court into the allegations that two former judges of the Kerala High Court had accepted bribe to derail the investigation into the infamous ice cream parlour scandal involving former Minister and Indian Union
Muslim League (IUML) leader P.K.Kunhalikutty.
The state government will be writing a letter to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) seeking appropriate action, preferably a high level
judicial probe, into the allegations that justices K.Narayana Kurup and K.Thankappan had accepted a bribe of about Rs. 40 lakh to derail a
CBI probe into the ice cream parlour case.
Former Additional Director-General of Prosecutions K C Peter, in a recent sting operation by a television channel, had revealed that the two judges, Justice K Narayana Kurup and Justice K Thankappan, accepted bribe from Kunhalikutty’s co-brother K A Rauf for dismissing a plea for a CBI probe into the ice cream parlour case in 2007 after a lower court acquitted all the accused in the case.
Peter had later disowned the report and both the judges denied having accepted bribe.
‘’The allegations against the two judges are very serious in nature as it has cast a shadow over the entire judicial system of the country and hence, we are taking up the matter with the CJI,’’ Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan told ‘Express’.
‘’Once we gather sufficient evidence with regard to the allegations, we will write to the CJI,’’ Kodiyeri said.
A special investigation team led by Additional DGP (Crimes) Vinson M Paul had already started a probe into the fresh revelations in the case.
‘’Media reports alone could not be considered as evidence. Hence, once the SIT gathers sufficient evidence, the government will be writing to the CJI along with the evidence seeking a probe into the matter,’’ Kodiyeri said.
The SIT had already interrogated Rauf and Kunhalikutty in connection with the fresh revelations in the case. Rauf had earlier said that he would hand over all the evidence to the police regarding the attempts made to derail the investigation, including that of bribing the judges.
Meanwhile, Kodiyeri said that the allegations of amassing of wealth by the close relatives of former CJI K G Balakrishnan, as well as the revelations by Congress leader K Sudhakaran MP, that he had witnessed a judge accepting bribe, would not be brought to the notice of the apex court at this point of time as the state government had already initiated separate investigations into the issues.
Wednesday, 16 February 2011
Saturday, 12 February 2011
Technical snag at Tvm airport ATC raises concern
Arjun Raghunath
The New Indian Express
12 Feb 2011
THIRUVANATHAPURAM: Technical snags are not new to the ATC at Thiruvananthapuram airport.
In December, when Congress president Sonia Gandhi came to the state capital to pay homage to former Chief Minister K Karunakaran, her flight had to be delayed for 17 minutes on account of a technical snag at the ATC.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) headquarters had even sought an explanation from the ATC on the matter, highly placed sources in the AAI told Express.
According to sources, over the last few years, officials with the Thiruvananthapuram ATC had given repeated requests to the higher-ups pointing out the need to replace the existing system that has become outdated.
However, there has been no response yet even after the ATCs in other parts of the country were supplied with modern equipment.
Director-General of Civil Aviation E K Bharathbhusan said he would look into the matter immediately.
“So far, the issue has not come to my attention.
ATC is a very important area in aviation, and we often ensure that modern systems are in place at the ATCs,” he told Express over phone.
In June last, a Jet Airways flight from Thiruvananthapuram to Chennai had narrowly missed a collision with an Air India Chennai-Madurai flight by around 10 nautical miles after the two aircraft had fallen on a grey area of the radar.
A timely instruction from the ATC helped avert a major mid-air collision.
The repetition of such incidents has not prompted the authorities in updating the systems in the Thiruvananthapuram ATC, that covers 200 nautical miles.
The existing systems in the Thiruvananthapuram ATC were installed way back in 1994.
Most of the equipment here have become outdated and are beyond repair.
Though a new air traffic control tower has been planned for the Thiruvananthapuram airport, it is still remaining on paper.
Besides hese, the Thiruvananthapuram ATC is also suffering from manpower shortage, sources say.
The New Indian Express
12 Feb 2011
THIRUVANATHAPURAM: Technical snags are not new to the ATC at Thiruvananthapuram airport.
In December, when Congress president Sonia Gandhi came to the state capital to pay homage to former Chief Minister K Karunakaran, her flight had to be delayed for 17 minutes on account of a technical snag at the ATC.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) headquarters had even sought an explanation from the ATC on the matter, highly placed sources in the AAI told Express.
According to sources, over the last few years, officials with the Thiruvananthapuram ATC had given repeated requests to the higher-ups pointing out the need to replace the existing system that has become outdated.
However, there has been no response yet even after the ATCs in other parts of the country were supplied with modern equipment.
Director-General of Civil Aviation E K Bharathbhusan said he would look into the matter immediately.
“So far, the issue has not come to my attention.
ATC is a very important area in aviation, and we often ensure that modern systems are in place at the ATCs,” he told Express over phone.
In June last, a Jet Airways flight from Thiruvananthapuram to Chennai had narrowly missed a collision with an Air India Chennai-Madurai flight by around 10 nautical miles after the two aircraft had fallen on a grey area of the radar.
A timely instruction from the ATC helped avert a major mid-air collision.
The repetition of such incidents has not prompted the authorities in updating the systems in the Thiruvananthapuram ATC, that covers 200 nautical miles.
The existing systems in the Thiruvananthapuram ATC were installed way back in 1994.
Most of the equipment here have become outdated and are beyond repair.
Though a new air traffic control tower has been planned for the Thiruvananthapuram airport, it is still remaining on paper.
Besides hese, the Thiruvananthapuram ATC is also suffering from manpower shortage, sources say.
Sunday, 6 February 2011
Victims’ kin yet to get compensation
Arjun Raghunath
The New Indian Express
06-Feb-11
THIRUVANATHAPURAM: Although the shock over the Pulmedu tragedy is gradually fading, the solatium announced by the state government seems to be eluding the dependents of the 102 victims of the tragedy thanks to red tape.
It was on January 14 that a stampede occurred at Pulmedu near Kumily in Iduk
The New Indian Express
06-Feb-11
THIRUVANATHAPURAM: Although the shock over the Pulmedu tragedy is gradually fading, the solatium announced by the state government seems to be eluding the dependents of the 102 victims of the tragedy thanks to red tape.
It was on January 14 that a stampede occurred at Pulmedu near Kumily in Iduk
Tuesday, 1 February 2011
No legal hurdles to launch fresh probe: Experts
Arjun Raghunath
01 Feb 2011
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the fresh revelations about the role of IUML leader P K Kunhalikutty in the ice cream parlour case, there are no legal hindrances for the government to go in for a fresh probe against the former Minister. It is even possible to reopen the case, even though all the accused in the case have been acquitted by the court, say legal experts.
As per the law, a person who is either sentenced or acquitted in a case should not be subject to prosecution again. However, since the name of Kunhalikutty had not figured either in the First Information Report or the chargesheet of the ice cream parlour case, this legal protection is not applicable for him, according to legal experts.
“In the wake of the fresh revelations regarding the involvement of Kunhalitutty in the case, the police could suo motu register a case against him. Besides the sexual harassment charges, there is also scope for framing charges of influencing witness in a case as well as forgery, “ leading lawyer Cherunniyoor Sasidharan Nair said. The Kozhikode police have already registered a case against Kunhalikutty and Rauf for influencing the witnesses.
Congress MLA and lawyer George Mercier said that though there would be practical difficulties in reopening the ice cream parlour case, the government could order a probe against Kunhalikutty under Section 201 of IPC.
A senior IPS officer as well as a senior judicial officer with the State Government also shared the same opinion. Though Kunhalikutty’s name figured during the investigation into the case, he was not implicated in the case owing to the lack of evidence, especially after the change in the statement of Rejina who was one of the key witness in the case.
It is also pointed out that there are legal provisions to reopen the case by considering it as a rarest of rare ones. However, it may involve a tedious and time-consuming legal battle to reopen the case, the legal experts said.
“After obtaining sufficient evidence about the manipulations which had taken place in the case, the government could approach the Supreme Court seeking reopening of the case. However, there are chances of all those who have been acquitted in the case objecting to this and hence it will be a long and tedious legal battle. Hence, a better option before the government will be to initiate a fresh probe,” said Sasidharan Nair.
01 Feb 2011
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the fresh revelations about the role of IUML leader P K Kunhalikutty in the ice cream parlour case, there are no legal hindrances for the government to go in for a fresh probe against the former Minister. It is even possible to reopen the case, even though all the accused in the case have been acquitted by the court, say legal experts.
As per the law, a person who is either sentenced or acquitted in a case should not be subject to prosecution again. However, since the name of Kunhalikutty had not figured either in the First Information Report or the chargesheet of the ice cream parlour case, this legal protection is not applicable for him, according to legal experts.
“In the wake of the fresh revelations regarding the involvement of Kunhalitutty in the case, the police could suo motu register a case against him. Besides the sexual harassment charges, there is also scope for framing charges of influencing witness in a case as well as forgery, “ leading lawyer Cherunniyoor Sasidharan Nair said. The Kozhikode police have already registered a case against Kunhalikutty and Rauf for influencing the witnesses.
Congress MLA and lawyer George Mercier said that though there would be practical difficulties in reopening the ice cream parlour case, the government could order a probe against Kunhalikutty under Section 201 of IPC.
A senior IPS officer as well as a senior judicial officer with the State Government also shared the same opinion. Though Kunhalikutty’s name figured during the investigation into the case, he was not implicated in the case owing to the lack of evidence, especially after the change in the statement of Rejina who was one of the key witness in the case.
It is also pointed out that there are legal provisions to reopen the case by considering it as a rarest of rare ones. However, it may involve a tedious and time-consuming legal battle to reopen the case, the legal experts said.
“After obtaining sufficient evidence about the manipulations which had taken place in the case, the government could approach the Supreme Court seeking reopening of the case. However, there are chances of all those who have been acquitted in the case objecting to this and hence it will be a long and tedious legal battle. Hence, a better option before the government will be to initiate a fresh probe,” said Sasidharan Nair.
Govt may allow freehold rights within SEZ limits
Arjun Raghunath
The New Indian Express
30 Jan 2011
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The much-delayed Smart City Kochi project is finally seeing a ray of hope as the State Government is learnt to have reached an understanding with the
Dubai-based promoters of the project to allow freehold rights over 12 percent of the land earmarked for the project.
The land, however, will be inside the Special Economic Zone.
The SEZ rules did not allow selling of the land within the SEZ limits at a later stage and by allowing freehold on land within the SEZ limits, the State Government hopes that it will not be possible for TECOM authorities to sell the land at a later stage. The decade-long efforts to set up the Smart City project has been held up over the demand by the Dubai-based TECOM for freehold of over 12 percent of the land earmarked for the project, outside the SEZ limits.
Allegations
The firm demand by TECOM for freehold of land outside the SEZ limits had also led to allegation that TECOM had a hidden agenda to sell off the land.
Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan had even openly alleged that Tecom was trying to carry out a real estate business under the cover of the Smart City project.
Role of interlocutor
Sources said that as a result of the deliberation by NRK businessman M A Yusuf Ali with the officials of the Dubai Supreme Fiscal Committee, the TECOM has informally agreed for freehold land within the SEZ.
Red carpet welcome on February 2
A formal decision in this regard is likely to be reached at a meeting scheduled to be held between Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan and Supreme Fiscal Committee member of the Dubai Government Ahmad Humaid Al Tayer here on February 2.
The State Government has invited Tayer for the talks and he is being accorded a red-carpet welcome as a State guest.
The background
Around 246 acres of land in Kochi have been earmarked for the Smart City Kochi project.
TECOM has been insisting on freehold on 12 percent of the land, which comes to about 30 acres.
Though the State Government had issued repeated ultimatums to TECOM to proceed with the project, they were still sticking to the demand for freehold over land outside the SEZ limits
The New Indian Express
30 Jan 2011
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The much-delayed Smart City Kochi project is finally seeing a ray of hope as the State Government is learnt to have reached an understanding with the
Dubai-based promoters of the project to allow freehold rights over 12 percent of the land earmarked for the project.
The land, however, will be inside the Special Economic Zone.
The SEZ rules did not allow selling of the land within the SEZ limits at a later stage and by allowing freehold on land within the SEZ limits, the State Government hopes that it will not be possible for TECOM authorities to sell the land at a later stage. The decade-long efforts to set up the Smart City project has been held up over the demand by the Dubai-based TECOM for freehold of over 12 percent of the land earmarked for the project, outside the SEZ limits.
Allegations
The firm demand by TECOM for freehold of land outside the SEZ limits had also led to allegation that TECOM had a hidden agenda to sell off the land.
Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan had even openly alleged that Tecom was trying to carry out a real estate business under the cover of the Smart City project.
Role of interlocutor
Sources said that as a result of the deliberation by NRK businessman M A Yusuf Ali with the officials of the Dubai Supreme Fiscal Committee, the TECOM has informally agreed for freehold land within the SEZ.
Red carpet welcome on February 2
A formal decision in this regard is likely to be reached at a meeting scheduled to be held between Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan and Supreme Fiscal Committee member of the Dubai Government Ahmad Humaid Al Tayer here on February 2.
The State Government has invited Tayer for the talks and he is being accorded a red-carpet welcome as a State guest.
The background
Around 246 acres of land in Kochi have been earmarked for the Smart City Kochi project.
TECOM has been insisting on freehold on 12 percent of the land, which comes to about 30 acres.
Though the State Government had issued repeated ultimatums to TECOM to proceed with the project, they were still sticking to the demand for freehold over land outside the SEZ limits
Monday, 24 January 2011
State's mgovernance fascinates Centre
Arjun Raghunath
The New Indian Express
25 Jan 2011
THIRUVANATHAPURAM: The mobile governance (mgovernance) venture of Kerala seems to have impressed not only the state but the nation as a whole.
Within a month after the formal launch of the muchhyped mgovernance applications, the Centre has expressed keen interest in extending the project to other states as well. Around 40 services related to the Kerala government are at present offered through the mobile phone platform and more services are in the offing.
Sources in the state IT Department told Express that the Union Department of Information Technology (DIT) had sought a proposal from the Kerala State IT Mission (KSITM) on implementing the mgovernance project in all the states. The IT Mission had submitted the proposal in this regard and it was discussed at a meeting of DIT officials chaired by Joint Secretary, DIT, Shankar Aggarwal, in New Delhi last week, it is learnt.
According to sources, the tentative plan is to provide an infrastructure for a nationwide mobile governance platform from Kerala.
"The new data centre of the state government coming up at Technopark may become the backbone of the entire system. Also, there will be servers in other locations across the country so as to form a cloud computing model of backup support," the sources said.
The mgovernance project of Kerala, funded by the Centre, was formally launched last month. The Goa government has already launched an mgovernance project in line with the Kerala mgovernance application. With 3G technology gaining popularity, some of the government departments are even exploring the possibility of making use of the new technology to deliver interactive services through smart phones. The State Tourism Department has already launched 3G portal.
The KSITM has initiated the mgovernance of the state with the technical support of Technoparkbased firm MobMe. The mgovernance services being delivered by the state government at present include Kerala Public Service Commission's examination related information, Sabarimala information, bus timings, information regarding bills of various government services and examination results.
The services that are now being delivered through the edistrict project of the state will also be made available through mgovernance shortly
The New Indian Express
25 Jan 2011
THIRUVANATHAPURAM: The mobile governance (mgovernance) venture of Kerala seems to have impressed not only the state but the nation as a whole.
Within a month after the formal launch of the muchhyped mgovernance applications, the Centre has expressed keen interest in extending the project to other states as well. Around 40 services related to the Kerala government are at present offered through the mobile phone platform and more services are in the offing.
Sources in the state IT Department told Express that the Union Department of Information Technology (DIT) had sought a proposal from the Kerala State IT Mission (KSITM) on implementing the mgovernance project in all the states. The IT Mission had submitted the proposal in this regard and it was discussed at a meeting of DIT officials chaired by Joint Secretary, DIT, Shankar Aggarwal, in New Delhi last week, it is learnt.
According to sources, the tentative plan is to provide an infrastructure for a nationwide mobile governance platform from Kerala.
"The new data centre of the state government coming up at Technopark may become the backbone of the entire system. Also, there will be servers in other locations across the country so as to form a cloud computing model of backup support," the sources said.
The mgovernance project of Kerala, funded by the Centre, was formally launched last month. The Goa government has already launched an mgovernance project in line with the Kerala mgovernance application. With 3G technology gaining popularity, some of the government departments are even exploring the possibility of making use of the new technology to deliver interactive services through smart phones. The State Tourism Department has already launched 3G portal.
The KSITM has initiated the mgovernance of the state with the technical support of Technoparkbased firm MobMe. The mgovernance services being delivered by the state government at present include Kerala Public Service Commission's examination related information, Sabarimala information, bus timings, information regarding bills of various government services and examination results.
The services that are now being delivered through the edistrict project of the state will also be made available through mgovernance shortly
Thursday, 20 January 2011
Plan for data bank on Gulf returnees suffers setback
Arjun Raghunath
The New Indian Express
21-Jan-11
THIRUVANATHAPURAM: THE plans of the State Government to create a data bank on Keralites who returned from the Gulf countries following recession has suffered a setback as only an insignificant number of returnees has so far enrolled themselves in the data bank even after two years of its launch....
The New Indian Express
21-Jan-11
THIRUVANATHAPURAM: THE plans of the State Government to create a data bank on Keralites who returned from the Gulf countries following recession has suffered a setback as only an insignificant number of returnees has so far enrolled themselves in the data bank even after two years of its launch....
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