News Analysis India

Tag: Kerala

  • No personal or political agenda behind allegations against CM, claims Swapna Suresh

    By PTI

    PALAKKAD (Kerala): Swapna Suresh, an accused in the sensational gold smuggling in diplomatic bags case that rocked Kerala before the 2021 assembly polls, on Wednesday said her allegations against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his family members and some top bureaucrats were not made due to some personal or political agenda.

    She claimed that she only disclosed before the court, in her statement under section 164 of Criminal Procedure Code, the people allegedly involved in the cases against her and their “degrees of involvement”.

    Suresh said that she gave the 164 statement as there were threats to her life and if something happened to her or her family members, she may not have the courage to come forward and speak about the case.

    “Therefore, to be on the safe side I deposed all the statements before the court with the facts,” she said and added that she has not finished what she has to say about the cases.

    “There is a lot more for me to say”, she added. Suresh was speaking to reporters at Palakkad a day after the Chief Minister dismissed her claims/allegations as “baseless”.

    Strongly reacting to the charges, the CM, in a statement, said, “unsubstantiated allegations have been made through the media from some quarters for narrow political reasons” and this was “part of some political agenda”.

    “Such an agenda was rejected by the people earlier. After a break, the old things are repeated by the accused in the case. There is not even a shred of fact in it”, Vijayan said.

    He said if those raising such allegations think that the will of his government and its political leadership can be shattered by spreading lies again, it will not succeed. The CPI(M) and the party-led LDF had also issued statements strongly defending Vijayan.

    The Left claimed there was a “political conspiracy” to tarnish the image of the Vijayan-led government and it was evident from Suresh’s allegations.

    LDF convener E P Jayarajan told media that there was “well-planned conspiracy” behind the “baseless allegations” against the CM and the state government should investigate the matter and find out who all were behind it.

    He alleged that Suresh was working in an organisation controlled by the RSS and therefore, she was under their control.

    Jayarajan also said the CM is neither required to respond to such “dirty” allegations nor resign from his office.

    He reiterated that there should be a probe to ascertain who were behind the allegations made against the CM.

    When told about the LDF convener’s demand for an investigation into who were behind the allegations, Suresh asked why no inquiry was carried out when terror charges were imposed on her and she was put behind bars for 16 months.

    She alleged that no investigation was carried out into the terror allegations against her as those behind it were sure she would never come out of jail.

    She further alleged that while in jail she was “tortured and mentally harassed” by the senior jail officers leading to her suffering from a heart attack, which was termed by them as a drama, and later she repeatedly suffered from fits.

    Suresh said as a result of the mental torture she underwent, she is now suffering from several ailments.

    She said what she has disclosed now was not meant to defame anyone or remove anyone from the post of CM nor was it a publicity stunt to create an image for herself.

    “I do not believe in politics. I actually do not care who is the CM now or then. I do not care who is going to rule the state. I also do not believe statements which claim what I said is part of a conspiracy, as I do not have any political or personal agenda.

    “I was in jail for 16 months. My kids suffered. I lost my job. They were exploiting and manipulating me. Now I just want to live and raise my kids. Please allow me to do that. Other than that I have no agenda,” she said.

    On being asked whether she spoke to P C George or gave anything to him in writing, Suresh said what she would like to highlight was that “no one should view her 164 statement as an opportunity and use it”.

    “That is my humble request. Do not use this as an opportunity for somebody else’s income or somebody else’s weapon. For God’s sake please do not use it like that,” she said.

    Suresh said she met a lot of people after her earlier interviews and therefore, “let’s not talk about P C George”. “Let’s not give importance to unwanted people,” she added.

    She further said she has no connection with Saritha S Nair, an accused in the solar panel scam, and claimed that the latter has been repeatedly calling her mother for help ever since Suresh got out of jail.

    Meanwhile, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) said they will be holding protests this evening as part of their ‘black day’ campaign demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

    KPCC general secretary T U Radhakrishnan said that Congress workers across the state would be holding black flags and chanting slogans demanding Vijayan’s resignation in the wake of the allegations against him in connection with the gold smuggling case.

    Senior Congress leader Oommen Chandy said the truth should come out and that it cannot be hidden away.

    Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, V D Satheesan, had on Tuesday said that a court-monitored investigation should be carried out in view of the latest revelation of Suresh.

    After giving a statement before the Magistrate on Monday, Suresh had said there was a threat to her life and therefore, she was going to disclose all the facts related to the case before the court.

    She was released from jail in November last year, 16 months after her arrest in the sensational gold smuggling case.

    Suresh, a former employee of the UAE Consulate here, was taken into custody by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) along with another accused Sandeep Nair from Bengaluru on July 11, 2020.

    The NIA, Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Customs conducted separate probes into the racket that was busted with the seizure of gold worth Rs 15 crore from the diplomatic baggage of the UAE Consulate at Thiruvananthapuram airport on July 5, 2020.

    Several people, including M Sivasankar, the former Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister and another ex-employee of the UAE Consulate here, Sarith P S, were arrested in connection with the case.

  • Monsoon to hit Kerala on May 27, five days early: IMD

    Weather scientists attribute the early onset of southwest monsoon over Kerala to influence of the remnants of cyclone Asani that triggered the cross-equatorial flow, a key factor for the seasonal rain

  • Centre writes to Kerala, Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, Mizoram on spiking COVID cases

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The center has written to five states, including Kerala and Delhi, on the rise in Covid cases and has advised them to continue monitoring the spread of the infection and undertake required steps for prompt and effective management of Covid-19.

    In the letter, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said that “a sustained and significant decline in the number of Covid-19 cases had been observed in India over the past two months, with the country reporting less than 1000 daily new cases for the past few days. Weekly positivity rate has remained below 1 percent.”

    However, he said a few states are reporting a higher contribution to India’s daily new cases.

    He said that as the states are taking various measures to reopen economic and social activities, there is a need for continuous follow-up of a risk assessment-based approach for Covid-19.

    In separate letters to these five states, Bhushan told them to continue the five-fold strategy of test-track-treat-vaccination, and adherence to Covid appropriate behavior needs to be followed.

    The ministry also listed steps to follow, including monitoring new clusters, adequate testing, monitoring influenza-like illness, conducting genomic sequencing for prescribed samples of international passengers, and vaccinating all eligible people.

    “It is essential that the state maintain a strict watch and take pre-emptive action if required in any areas of concern to control any emerging spread of infection. Testing and surveillance remain important to treat the virus, its spread and evolution.” 

    The ministry said laxity would nullify the gains in pandemic management so far.

    The ministry said Kerala is reporting 31.8 percent of India’s new cases, and the state also has seen an increase in positivity in the last week from 13.45 percent to 15.53 percent. Mizoram accounted for 11.16 percent of all new cases, and the state also saw an increase in positivity in the last week from 14.38 percent to 16.48 percent.

    Maharashtra also saw a spike in new cases as it accounted for 10.9 percent of India’s recent issues. The State has also seen an increase in positivity in the last week from 0.39 percent to 0.43 percent. Delhi accounted for 11.33 percent of India’s new cases, with the state seeing an increase in positivity in the last week from 0.51 percent to 1.25 percent.

    Haryana also accounted for 5.70 percent of all new cases in the country, with the positivity rate increasing in the last week from 0.51 percent to 1.060 percent.

  • Yogi Adityanath’s remarks on Kerala create ripples in Parliament

    By Express News Service

    THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Protest over Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s remarks of his state turning into Kashmir, Kerala or West Bengal reverberated in Parliament on Friday. Opposition MPs from Congress and other parties walked out from the Lok Sabha in protest against the remarks. 

    In the Rajya Sabha, CPM’s John Brittas moved a suspension of business notice over Yogi’s remarks. Since permission was not granted for the discussion, the Left MPs staged a walkout, said MP Elamaram Kareem. 

    In a video message ahead of the first phase of Uttar Pradesh polls on Thursday, Yogi warned voters to vote cautiously if they did not want the state to turn into Kashmir, Kerala or Bengal. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who taunted Yogi for his remarks on Thursday, continued to hit back at his UP counterpart. 

    On Friday, he came out with a series of tweets under the hashtag #KeralaStandsOut. “The state stands out since it has the lowest percentage of people living in poverty according to the #NITIAayog’s Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index. In Kerala, only 0.71% of the population is multidimensionally poor against the national average of 25.01%.” 

    If Uttar Pradesh turns into Kerala, it would be a major gain for the people of the north Indian state, said CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan. If people of UP want longer life expectancy, they should defeat BJP, he added. 

    Kodiyeri said the political debates over the remarks should reflect in the ongoing UP elections. Kerala has been ahead of UP in living standard indices — be it health, sustainable development or governance. The BJP leadership in Kerala should come forward and correct Yogi for his statement, he added.

  • TN opposes CWC’s suggestion to review Mullaperiyar dam safety

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu government on Thursday told the Supreme Court that the State of Kerala has been repeatedly thwarting the efforts by them to carry out the strengthening work of the Mullaperiyar dam.The Tamil Nadu government told the court that the dam is safe and there is no pressing need to have a fresh review of the dam’s safety as was suggested by Central Water Commission (CWC) and the Supervisory Committee of the dam through an affidavit filed before the Court on January 27.

    “There is neither deformation nor abnormality in the Dam. Further, silting of the Dam is very minimum. In this water year 2021-22, water was stored in the Dam at a level of +142 ft. from November 30, 2021 for about 18 days, and all the parameters of the Dam were found to be within limits,” the response filed by Tamil Nadu said.

    The Tami Nadu government, therefore, said that that CWC / Supervisory Committee or by its instrumentalities should be directed to carry out review on the safety of the Dam only after completing the balance strengthening works and maintenance works as had been directed by the Supreme Court in 2006 and later in 2014.

    Tamil Nadu government has, thus, prayed that Kerala be directed to cooperate, and provide all necessary assistance in a time-bound manner so that the remaining strengthening and maintenance works are implemented in letter and spirit during the next four months commencing March 2022 before the monsoon season starts.

    The Mullaperiyar Dam, situated in Kerala’s Periyar River and which supplies water to five districts of Tamil Nadu, has been a contentious issue between the two states. While Kerala has been maintaining for the past few decades that the Dam is unsafe, TN has all along vouched for its safety.

  • Why deputation term of TDB vigilance officers restricted: Kerala HC asks state government

    By PTI

    KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Thursday sought an explanation from the state for restricting deputation period of officers in the Vigilance Wing of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), saying a system without vigilance cannot be permitted.

    The high court said there was “absolutely no justification” for restricting the deputation period of three officers of the vigilance wing to January 20, 2022 when even the state’s police chief in September last year had recommended extension of their term for one year.

    Presently, the vigilance wing has been functioning with a Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) and an officer of the rank of Sub-Inspector, the court noted and said, “If the state or the Board think they can have a system without any vigilance, that cannot be permitted.” It directed the state government and TDB to inform the court on Friday why it was not informed about expiry of the deputation period of the three officers and why their term was restricted to January 20, especially when the vigilance wing has detected various irregularities, including theft and misappropriation, in the Board.

    A bench of Justices Anil K Narendran and P G Ajithkumar said it had recently, in another matter, extended the term of the CVO till March 31 and even at that time neither the state nor the TDB informed the court that deputation period of several officers of the vigilance wing was coming to an end.

    “In such circumstances, we find absolutely no justification on the part of the government in limiting the period of deputation of the officers till January 20, 2022. Now, there is a CVO without supporting officers,” the bench said.

    The observations and direction of the bench came while hearing a petition initiated by the court on its own over the issues of corruption in submission of bills by the Board in relation to food provided to dignitaries staying at the Sabarimala guest house and the alleged disbanding of the vigilance wing, which were highlighted in a news report.

    The proceedings were initiated on the basis of the news article and a report was called for from the Special Commissioner, Sabarimala.

    The Special Commissioner, in his report dated February 2 and which was placed before the court on Thursday, said the State Police Chief had recommended extension of the deputation period of officers in the vigilance wing for a year, but the state government restricted it to January 20 and there was no request from the Board to extend their tenure.

    According to the news report referred to by the high court, the vigilance had found inflated bills for food that was provided to the dignitaries and higher officials staying in the Sabarimala guest house.

  • Endgame near for pandemic? Possible, say medical experts

    By Express News Service

    THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Two years ago, on January 30, Kerala reported the country’s first Covid case when one of the samples of three medical students who had arrived from Wuhan, China, tested positive. Two years on, the situation has only worsened, if one looks at pandemic metrics.

    People, who were yearning for a change after a tumultuous 2021, were puzzled by the third wave and reacted to the arrival of the Omicron variant with an unpleasant mixture of fatigue and déjà vu. The year gone by was marked by the second wave of Covid that overlapped with the first and third waves at the beginning and the end, respectively.

    All the variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid, namely Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron as designated by the World Health Organization, made their presence felt here. Last year began with a hope of reopening the economy, due to the availability of vaccines, even when there were concerns of a new variant (Alpha), detected first among travellers from the United Kingdom.

    Post assembly elections, the second wave led by the Delta variant wreaked havoc as the number of deaths followed the rise in Covid infections. It tested the preparedness and the historical advantages of the state’s healthcare system as the number of patients swelled.

    However, the situation here was far from the chaotic scenes witnessed in other parts of the country. But authorities faced sharp criticism since the over-cautious approach in the first wave resulted in creating a large population susceptible in the second wave.

    The under-counting of people who died of Covid too was a point of criticism. After much prodding for more transparency by experts and opposition parties, the state started to reconcile more deaths even though the government kept extending restrictions on normal life. There were some well-intended measures to open up life towards the end of 2021 with schools and colleges reopening after a long gap.

    But the restrictions are back in force as the government remains watchful for the next two weeks. Amid the gloom, the scientific community is upbeat that the pandemic could run out of fuel this year. It might not be possible to return to the pre-Covid period, but there is a growing consensus backed by scientific evidence that a new normal is possible. TNIE spoke to two eminent health experts who explained why the pandemic phase is getting over.

    “The present pandemic situation may settle down by March-April. As far as the virus is concerned, it needs only to replicate and transmit, not kill the host. So we have Omicron, probably the last variant of SARS-CoV-2. Even if it further mutates, it will be less virulent. The common cold is caused by several viruses including four coronaviruses. So if a new virus comes it may become the fifth one,” said Dr B Ekbal, public health activist and head of the expert panel advising the state government on Covid. “It will become endemic.

    Except for those viruses whose definitive host is human beings such as Smallpox and Polio, the pandemic may not go extinct. When it becomes endemic, you can control it with appropriate behaviours, vaccines, and antivirals,” he said. Dr V Ramankutty, a health economist, epidemiologist, and an emeritus professor at the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, said the emergence of Omicron was unexpected, but it may bring an end to the pandemic.

    “We will be better off in 2022. The wild spreading of Omicron is expected to build immunity among people. The probability of another virus with superior mutation is less, though we cannot completely rule it out. It may become endemic and persist at a low level. But, the vulnerable groups should still have to be careful,” he said. Even if Covid becomes endemic, it will leave its mark in the form of multifold challenges before the state, said public health experts.

    A highly mobile, but largely morbid, population, with a high proportion of elderly makes Kerala’s challenges unique in the post-pandemic world. “There is a need to strengthen the surveillance rather than the ad hoc arrangements we adopt as part of the reactive approach. We need to develop independent capabilities by using manpower and technology at our disposal.

    The preventive aspects should be strengthened in the healthcare system. The government should also promote open discussion on the topic. Providing access to the data is the first step in this direction,” said Dr Ramankutty. Dr Ekbal also wants attention on public health aspects to deal with the upcoming challenges.

    ‘Public health intervention needed’“The state will find it challenging to manage post- Covid syndrome and a backlog of non-Covid cases. We should be prepared to confront the health challenges. The state’s problem needs to be addressedthrough public health intervention. The focus should be on disease prevention and health promotion,” said Dr B Ekbal.

  • Amid protests, government school in Kerala implements unisex uniform

    By PTI

    KOZHIKODE: Amid protests by some people under the collective of Muslim coordination committee, the Balussery government girls higher secondary school here on Wednesday implemented the gender-neutral uniform for its students, a move which the state Higher Education minister R Bindu termed as a radical step forward.

    Bindu, who inaugurated the new gender-neutral uniform of the school, said those who oppose such moves are acting against the interests of Kerala and its future generations.

    “At a time when the world is heralding an age of gender justice and equality, Balussery Government Girls HSS has taken a radical step forward. Glad to have had the opportunity to officially inaugurate the school’s new gender-neutral uniform, which students have welcomed with open arms,” Bindu said.

    She said there are always people who oppose the new changes. “However, such people are not protecting the interests of Kerala and our future generations. Those who love children will never oppose such progressive changes. Those who love children will support them to get adapted to clothes that suit our climate and give children freedom of movement,” Bindu said.

    Earlier in the day, a section of people under the collective of Muslim coordination committee staged a protest march to the school against the new unisex uniforms, saying the decision amounts to insulting the modesty of women and that it was part of “imposing liberal ideology” among students.

    They described it as anti-democratic and an encroachment on people’s right to wear anything. The higher secondary section in the school is open to both girls and boys. “There are 200 girl students and 60 boys in the batch. The authorities have asked the girl students to wear the same dress as that of the boys. We feel that it is a wrong decision. It was not taken after discussing the matter with the PTA or other stakeholders. There was no discussion prior to implementing this and it seems like this was part of imposing liberal ideology in the school,” a representative of the coordination committee told the media.

    Meanwhile, general education minister V Sivankutty said the state government will encourage decisions that ensure gender justice.

    “In general, the state government wants to provide education without any gender bias. The government will encourage such decisions which will help bringing in gender justice,” Sivankutty said.

    The State had earlier announced that it would back the idea of gender-neutral uniforms in schools” a concept that was perhaps hitherto unthinkable to students and academics alike. Nearly a dozen schools in Kerala have already shifted to the new gender-neutral uniform.

  • Heavy rains continue to lash Kerala as state receives 105 per cent excess rainfall this month

    By PTI

    KOCHI: Heavy rains continue to lash parts of Kerala on Monday affecting Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Kottayam districts the most resulting in death of three people and widespread damage to property.

    The India Meteorological Department has issued an Orange alert on Monday for the districts of Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod districts of Kerala.

    The state Disaster Management Authority informed that in the last 24 hours, the districts of Kollam, Kottayam, Thiruvananthapuram, Idukki and Thrissur were affected the most.

    In rainfall-related incidents across the state, one house was fully damaged while 28 were partially damaged, SDMA said adding that three lives, including that of two toddlers were lost in the last 24 hours.

    Yesterday, two toddlers lost their lives in two different incidents n Kannur and Thrissur districts.

    A driver was killed in a mudslide incident that happened in Ernakulam district. As per the weatherman, Kerala has received 833.8 mm rain during the period of October 1 to 15 while the normal average rainfall was 407.2 mm.

    There is a departure of 105 per cent. Pathanamthitta district received 194 per cent extra rain during this period, followed by Kannur, Kasaragod, Kozhikode districts showing 127, 116 and 111 per cent large excess departure.

    On Sunday, the eastern part of Kollam district received heavy rainfall with the weather station at Punalur recording 11.7 cm rain in the last 24 hours.

    This resulted in swelling of major rivers and streams in the region affecting the areas of Pathanamthitta and Kollam district downstream towards the west.

    Many varsities in the state have postponed the exams scheduled for Monday and Tuesday due to the incessant rain while collectors of seven south central districts have declared holiday for all educational institutions including professional colleges on Monday.

    “The cyclonic circulation over east central and adjoining southeast Arabian sea off Karnataka, north Kerala coasts extending up to mid tropospheric level persists,” the IMD said.

    The authorities also warned the fishermen not to venture into the sea as strong wind with speed reaching 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph is likely to prevail over Kerala coast.

  • Kerala seeks to decommission Mullaperiyar dam, says consequences of dam failure will be catastrophic

    By Express News Service

    KOCHI: The 126-year-old Mullaperiyar dam, which is a composite gravity dam (combination of concrete and embankment), is in a deteriorating condition due to age and it should be decommissioned to enable the construction of a new dam, Kerala submitted before the Supreme Court in a written note on Thursday.

    “The consequences of any failure of the dam could be extremely catastrophic and beyond human imagination. The apprehensions of the Kerala government regarding the life and safety of more than 30 lakh people in 5 districts residing downstream of the dam have to be given due importance and consideration”, Kerala submitted in the note.

    The state has opposed the view of the Supervisory Committee constituted by the Supreme Court that the dam would hold 142 feet of water level. The Supervisory Committee and Tamil Nadu maintain that there is no danger or threat to the dam. The Committee recommended before the Supreme Court on Wednesday that there is no need to change the water level in the dam.

    Kerala meanwhile added that the hearting (material used as fill) of the dam which accounts for more than 60 percent of the volume of the dam was constructed with lime surkhi concrete. Quite understandably, seismic forces were not considered in its design. In spite of the strengthening measures taken twice, the dam is in a deteriorating condition. There would be an exponential increase in water pressure and uplift pressure acting on the dam when the water level is raised from 136 feet to 142 feet.

    ALSO READ: Kerala launches evacuation drive as TN set to release water from Mullaperiyar at 7 am on Friday

    The catchment area of Mullaperiyar reservoir is 624 sq km. The gross storage capacity is only 12.758 TMC ft at 142 feet. Mullaperiyar, therefore, is exceptionally vulnerable because it has a large catchment area and limited storage capacity. Consequently, the water level in the Mullaperiyar dam increases rapidly compared to Idukki which has a catchment area of 650 sq km and a storage capacity of 70.5 TMC ft.

    Kerala sought to keep the water level in Mullaperiyar at 139 feet as Idukki reservoir is nearing full reservoir level and any sudden large release from the upstream dam can worsen the situation, forcing to make large releases from Idukki causing flood in downstream areas.

    Kerala pointed out that Tamil Nadu was not utilizing the full outflow capacity of the Mullaperiyar dam. At 137 feet, the full outflow possible is 2,735 cusecs but Tamil Nadu was drawing only 2,200 cusecs.  Which was increased to 2,300 cusecs as the water level reached 137.8 feet.

    Kerala pointed out that Tamil Nadu can create additional storage facilities at appropriate places in Tamil Nadu and enhance the capacity of the Vaigai dam to store water drawn from Mullaperiyar. The capacity of the existing tunnel can be enhanced or an additional tunnel can be constructed for drawing more water, which will help to keep the reservoir level at a safer level without reducing water viability as suggested by an empowered committee constituted by Supreme Court in February 18, 2010.

    Kerala does not demand a reduction of water used by Tamil Nadu. In fact, Kerala is requesting to use more water by adopting appropriate measures, Kerala’s standing counsel G Prakash said in the note.

    Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu has agreed to open the shutters and release water from the dam from 7 am on Friday.

    Though located in Kerala, the dam is operated and maintained by Tamil Nadu.