Government on Thursday allowed oil companies to raise diesel price by 50 paise a litre per month and bulk users to be charged market price. Petrol price will also be cut by 25 paise per litre. Facing flak over move to raise diesel price, government on Thursday said it was a "very difficult" balancing act of generating revenue and protecting people's interest and questioned parties' opposition to the hike when they themselves had effected similar decisions in the past.
The price of diesel will now increase by Rs 6 in a year. The new price would be effective from Friday, reports said.
However, the government has told oil manufacturing companies to sell diesel to bulk buyers at market rate.
The state fuel retailers are expected to cut petrol prices by 25 paise per litre from Friday itself.
The decision on diesel is expected to cut the subsidy bill by Rs 12,900 crore on account of hike in price of fuel
sold to bulk consumers like Railways and state transport undertakings. Diesel accounts for 59 per cent of the estimated
Rs 160,000 crore fuel subsidy bill in 2012-13.
An order issued by the Oil Ministry post CCPA decision stated that bulk users be charged market price, that will
result in a hike of Rs 10.81 per litre over and above the current rate of Rs 47.15 in Delhi. The government is expected
to save about Rs 9,000 crore of raise in price for retail buyers.
Oil and Natural Gas Minister M Veerappa Moily had earlier said that the oil marketing companies can now decide on diesel price and change it by a small margin from time to time.
Moily said, “We have now given liberty to all oil marketing companies to go in for small correction in days to come. The companies are at a liberty to do small corrections – considering all aspects.”
“We have taken a first and decisive step oil companies will take a decision when full deregulation will be done,” he further said.
Declining to clarify on the quantum of change in diesel price, Moily said that it is up to the oil marketing companies to decide on the amount.
Moily said that the oil companies have been permitted to raise diesel prices by a small quantum periodically till such time that they are able to cover Rs 9.60 per litre loss they incur on the fuel.
The Oil Ministry had earlier this month made a proposal to Cabinet to raise diesel prices and increase the number of subsidised LPG cylinders available to households to nine a year from the current cap of six.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet also approved the Petroleum Ministry’s proposal to increase the number of subsidised LPG cylinders available to households to nine a year from the current cap of six.
The government had sought permission from the Election Commission on Wednesday as three states – Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland – will go to polls soon and the model code of conduct is in force. Giving its approval, the Election Commission said the decision was not a violation of code as it was an ongoing scheme.
With effect from April 2013, all households will be get nine subsidised cylinders instead of the earlier six.
The Kerala Government on Friday filed an appeal at the Kerala High Court against the decision of the First Class Judicial Magistrate Court in Kozhikode to give V.S. Achuthanandan the right to get copies of the witness statements related to the sensational Ice Cream Parlour Sexual Abuse case in which State Industries Minister P.K. Kunhalikutty was allegedly involved.
High Court today questioned State government's interests in the ice-cream re-investigation case, when the case came up for hearing before court.
Court asked the government pleader about the intention of government in filing a petition against giving case diary to V S Achuthanandan, though the government was not party in ice cream re-investigation case. It was the accused who should have voiced against giving probe documents to Achuthanandan, the Magistrate court observed while accepting the government plea. Goverment should have helped the Magistrate court to reach the best decision. The court postponed the case to 22 January for further haring
State industries minister P.K. Kunhalikutty had to step down as minister in January 2005 after channels telecasted Regina's allegation that she was sexually exploited by the minister. The issue once again attracted media attention after his brother-in-law K.M. Rauf came up with allegations of bribery against Kunjalikutty.
The strike staged by the Left teachers-service organisations has entered the fourth day Friday even after Sangh Parivar affiliated Federation of Employees & Teachers Organisations (FETO) withdrew following talks held with Finance Minister K M Mani.
A clash between the employees and protestors were reported from many places.
The protestors decided to strengthen the strike after talks held with finance minister did not yield any result. Many of the government educational institution did not function as the SFI started an indefinite strike from today. Children were sent back from their respective schools in the morning.
The government employees and teachers affiliated to pro-Left trade unions, who have been protesting against complementary pension in Kerala, will hold talks with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Sunday at 8 pm.
The employees are on strike for the last four days protesting against the government's decision to implement Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) for those who join the service from April this year.
The meeting was fixed after the employees and teachers talked to Finance Minister K.M. Mani on Thursday.
The employees are on strike for the last four days protesting against the government's decision to implement Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) for those who join the service from April this year.
The unions backed by BJP, however, decided to stay away from the strike in light of the talks.
Meanwhile, the state government has taken steps to rein in the strike. As part of this, many protesters were arrested by the police.
Five engineering students were among five arrested here Saturday in connection with the murder of diamond trader and royal family member Harihara Varma on December 24.
Additional Director General of Police A Hemachandran told reporters here that all of those arrested were from Kerala. They identified the accused as M. Jithesh, 33; V. Ajeesh, 27; Rakhil, 24; Jitesh’s cousin, Rakesh, 21; and J. Joseph, 20. They hail from lower middle class families in Kannur and Kozhikode districts and were part of a fraternity of Malayali students in Bangalore. Joseph is the son of a planter in Karnataka. All are first offenders with no previous police record.
The ADGP said robbery was the motive behind the murder and added that media reports putting the value of the stolen diamonds at Rs 300 crore was not correct. "The diamonds taken away from him on that date were not as valued as reported in the media," he said.
Harihara Varma, 55, a member of the Poojar Royal family, was found murdered in his house at Puthoorkonam at nearby Vattiyoorkavu.
Police had received vital clues from the driver of the car in which they went to Varma's house posing as buyers of diamond.
The incident came to light after one Haridas, an advocate by profession and who claimed to be a mediator for the trade, informed police about the murder.
The Kerala government had set up a special police team, headed by DCP Putta Vimaladitya, to probe the case.
The Supreme Court today decided to hear urgently an appeal against the acquittal of accused in the 17-year-old Suryanelli rape case in which a woman from Kerala was allegedly raped by 42 men for 40 days.
With the appeal pending at apex court itself for eight years, a bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir assured that hearings would begin on it within three weeks.
The bench gave the assurance after it was brought to its notice during mentioning period that the appeal against the acquittal of accused in the case is pending in the apex court for last eight years.
The Suryanelli rape case involves gangrape of a 16-year-old girl continuously for 40 days by 42 men in 1996.
The girl from Suryanelli in Idukki district of Kerala was abducted in January 1996 and was transported from place to place across Kerala.
On September 6, 2000, the special court had sentenced 35 persons to rigorous imprisonment for varying terms.
The Kerala High Court, however, acquitted all 35 convicts earlier and found only one of them person guilty of crimes related to the sex trade and sentenced him to five years jail term and a fine of Rs 50,000.
Later her family and the state moved the Supreme Court in 2005 against the high court's verdict.
The State Public Expenditure Review Committee on Thursday recommended pay revision and pension once in every 10 years. The committee in its report submitted before the legislative assembly also instructs that tenders should be called for the posts of securities, office cleaners, drivers, gardeners, sweepers etc.
The term of the committee is three years. The committee directs to appoint university grants commission in the state. The teaching grant system for private aided institutions should be completely reformed.
Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and KPCC chief Ramesh Chennithala got permission from Union Minister of State for Power Jyotiraditya Scindia on Sunday for a project to start medical colleges in Kerala on Public-Private Partnership basis.
The Ministries of Health, Company Affairs and Power have given full consent to the first phase of the project, which is the Harippad Medical College.
The Ministry of Power would provide 25 acres of land required for constructing medical college at Harippad.
In a meeting held at New Delhi, Jyotiraditya assured Chandy and Ramesh that sufficient land would be allotted from the 900 acres of land belonging to National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) at Harippad. Land will be handed to Kerala on December. Permission has also been given to consider these lands as state government’s share.
The state government has formed a company for the construction of medical college at Harippad with the permission of Ministry of Company Affairs.
The company, which is named as Kerala Medical Infrastructural Ltd. (Med-Infra), is modelled on Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) at Nedumbassery. The estimated cost is Rs. 270 crore.
A director board comprising Health Department Secretary Rajeev Sadanandan, Finance Department Secretary V.P. Joy, Health Department Director Dr. P.K. Jameela, Director of Medical Education Dr. V. Geetha, NRHM State Mission Director Dr. M. Beena, and Special Officer for new medical colleges Dr. P.G.R. Pillai has also been formed.
An application for registering the company was also submitted with the consent of Union Health Ministry. The Health Secretary will become the first chairman of the company.
The 76 % share of Harippad Medical College would be given to NRI Malayalis. The government’s share is land. The motto is to gather at first Rs. 80 crore through 1000 shares.
The KERALA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION published the Probability List containing the Register Numbers of candidates who are found provisionally eligible to be included in the Ranked list, subject to the verification of the Original documents, for selection to the post of RESERVE CONDUCTOR - STATEWIDE (Category No.
467/2010 )
in KERALA STATE ROAD TRANSPORT CORPORATION on Rs. 5250 - 10900 on the
basis of the Objective Type Test (OMR) held on 12/05/2012, 26/05/2012 and 09/06/2012.
For the Rank List please click the side link KSRTC RESERVE CONDUCTOR SHORT LIST
Bollywood actress Vidya Balan tied the knot with UTV head Siddharth Roy Kapoor today in a ceremony which saw a mix of both Punjabi and Tamil traditions.
The wedding rituals went on for over an hour at the well-decorated Green Mile Bungalow in Bandra in the presence of family members of the bride and groom.
"The wedding ceremony is still on, it is a mix of both Punjabi and Tamil traditions. The food served is South Indian," said a source close to Vidya.
Pretty bride Vidya wore a bright red south Indian silk saree with heavy gold ornaments while posing for photographers after the wedding. She was also wearing Punjabi-style chooda (wedding bangles) in her hands. Siddharth wore a yellow embroidered kurta. The food served was South Indian.
The 34-year-old actress underwent three changes in costume during the wedding ceremony, one of them being a mustard saree with a pink blouse, matching the groom's yellow kurta and pink turban. Siddharth's family members were seen wearing pink saafas, and the wedding procession arrived in typical Punjabi style, complete with dhol and 'balle balles'.
The wedding festivities for the couple began on December 11 with a private dinner which was followed by a mehendi ceremony on December 12. The couple will reportedly be hosting a reception in Chennai.
Vidya, who never confirmed rumours about her relationship with Siddharth, kept mum about her wedding as well and the celebrations are being kept as private as possible.
Actress Priyanka Chopra, as well as filmmakers Madhur Bhandarkar and Kumar Taurani took to Twitter to congratulate the newly wed couple.
"Congratulations to my friends Siddharth Roy Kapoor and Vidya Balan! They make such a beautiful couple... here's wishing them happiness forever," said Priyanka.
Added Madhur: "My heart filled wishes to buddy Siddharth Roy Kapur and Vidya Balan for the new phase of their lives together. Congratulations to the beautiful couple."
"Congratulations to Siddharth Roy Kapur and Vidya Balan. God bless newly wedded couple," said producer Kumar Taurani.
There are reports that the newly weds are all set to hold a lavish reception in Chennai, but there is no confirmation of this report.
The wedding functions of sangeet and mehendi were attended by family members - Vidya's parents Saraswathy and P R Balan. The actress' elder sister Priya and brother-in-law Kedar.
A tweet from UTV Stars: "Bollywood Vidya Balan married Siddharth Roy Kapoor earlier in the morning today! We wish them a happy married life!"
The entire wedding has been hush-hush affair with only Bollywood celebrity Rekha being invited for mehendi.
The regulatory commission permitted the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) to levy double charge per unit from consumers using above 300 units in a month. The new rate will come into effect from Dec 15 onwards and will last till May 31, 2013.
The state the government has decided to impose a fine of Rs.15 per unit in case of over use of electricity. Currently electricity allotted for domestic consumption is 300 units
The high tension and extra high tension consumers have been slapped a 25% power cut while 80% power cut has been imposed on consumers other than low tension household consumers. The new measures are expected to generate conservation of 5.7 million units of electricity.
The new surcharge, which may affect 1.8 million consumers will come into effect from Saturday onwards and will continue till May 31.
The Kerala government has planned to bring in Contributory Pension Scheme for employees joining the state service from 2013. The state government has decided to take the step as the liability of the exchequer by way of pension payment was set to mount hugely in coming years if the Statutory Pensions Scheme was continued.
Countering the opposition LDF's charge that such a decision would mean denial of long-enjoyed benefits to employees, Finance Minister K M Mani told the Assembly today that the switch-over was not only essential to arrest fiscal collapse but also to safeguard the security of employees in the future.
Reeling out statistics, Mani said currently the state had a total of 5.50 lakh pensioners against 5.37 lakh serving employees and the gap was set to widen every year. In 2001-02, the state required only Rs 1838 crore to meet the annual pension commitment, which now stood at Rs 8700 crore. This would steeply go up to Rs 41,180 crore in 10 years and to Rs 2 lakh crore in 20 years.
Rejecting the opposition charge that the government was running away from its responsibility by bringing in CPS, Mani said, in fact, the government would have to make an additional allocation of about Rs 72 crore a year as its contribution to the pension fund.
The employees would be required to contribute 10 per cent of their pay and dearness allowance to the pension fund. The government would also make a contribution to the fund.
Pensions would be available to employees who contribute to the fund for a specified number of years. Payment of full pension by government would be discontinued.
Opposition Leader V. S. Achuthanandan, CPI State Secretary Pannian Raveendran and the Joint Council of State Service Organisations have decried the decision to introduce contributory pension scheme.
The Opposition Leader said that the order to undermine statutory pension and impose ban on appointments was a challenge to the people and demanded its withdrawal.
He recalled that the Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had promised in the Assembly that the contribution pension scheme would be implemented only after consultations with all concerned. The government was showing disrespect to the Assembly and democratic systems by dismantling the long-standing provision for statutory pensions through a government order.
Mr. Pannian Raveeendran said that order betrayed youth seeking employment in government service. The government was undermining statutory pensions following the economic policies of the Central government.
The Pay Commission defines the salary of the government employees by also including the pension amount.
If the contributory pension scheme is introduced it would have an adverse effect on it. An employee will only get
half of the pension on the contributory pension scheme compared with the normal pension,
also pointed out that by implementing the contributory pension scheme, the State Government would be at the mercy of the speculative market
. ‘’The equal pension amount from the employee and the government is
deposited in banks and uncertainty hare market. Depending on the market trend, the interest will fluctuate and there is
. If the banks or share market witness a collapse than the pension scheme will be doomed affecting thousands of government employees,’
Former India captain Rahul Dravid was scathing in his criticism after India's abject surrender in the Kolkata Test, questioning the "skill, ability and talent" of the players who are representing the country.
"People talk about attitude and say (the players) don't care because there is too much money in the Indian Premier League. That's one side of things but the main thing is their lack of skill and ability, which is more worrying for me. It raises questions as to the talent and quality of players coming through," Dravid told 'BBC Test Match Special'.
"One of the challenges India face is that our domestic cricket is not of the quality to allow players to seamlessly move into international cricket."
There is a lot of anger among the cricket-crazy Indian fans and the veteran of 164 Tests and 13,288 runs feels that it is absolutely justified.
"A lot of people are upset not just by losing but the manner of the defeats. India won three tosses and had the wicket in their favour in Mumbai and the best of the batting conditions here in Kolkata but they just haven't been able to capitalise or put up a fight," said Dravid, who had retired from international cricket last March.
Dravid along with Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Anil Kumble and Virender Sehwag formed the core of a solid Indian Test team that reached the pinnacle of success winning in Australia, England, Pakistan, West Indies and New Zealand.
"England have put a mirror up to the Indian cricket team and shown them the challenges that they face. Successful teams have a group of players who come through together and peak at the same time."
The 'Wall' feels that 'A' tours are becoming increasingly more important.
"I think having 'A' tours and the academy system is becoming more and more important and I think England have been pretty good with that in the way that the academy travels every winter to different parts of the world. I think that is something India can learn from England," Dravid said.
"It is about recognising that the Indian team is in a bit of transition and working out how to bring through young players who have the skill, technique, temperament and desire to play Test cricket."
Dravid also admitted that Ravichandran Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha didn't deliver as per expectations.
"India have been outbowled in the spin department and that's a worrying sign because spin has been our strength."
Although he is thoroughly disappointed with the Indian team's effort in the field and their general fitness standards, he was blunt in stating that it can't be used as an excuse.
"India have been poor in the field and their physical fitness is disappointing me. That's not an excuse. You can't demand runs, but you can at least demand accountability in terms of intensity and effort."
There is always a possibility that the Indian team would come back stronger and level the series in the final Test in Nagpur but the 40-year-old feels that there is a need for long-term planning.
"Irrespective of what happens in Nagpur, the lessons need to be learned from the series if India wants to be a consistently successful team and challenge again for the number one
V.S clear about his earlier statement, which had stirred up controversy, Leader of the Opposition V S Achuthanandan Sunday explained that he had never said that CPM tried to oust him from post of opposition leader. Nor did he say that any party member was involved. There was nothing pointing at any party member in that statement, Achuthanandan said.
Talking to newspersons here, he said he had clearly mentioned that the ruling party was trying to dislodge him from the post. 'I have not said that my party was planning t remove me from the post of Opposition leader,' he added. Earlier, the Opposition leader alleged that the Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Industries Minister P K Kunhalikutty were hatching a conspiracy to remove him from the post by framing cases against him in connection with the transfer of land to his relative during his previous tenure as the Chief Minister.
The comments he made before the media after High Court Single Bench's verdict to quash the FIR on Land Gift case against him has recently roused a controversy.
In reaction to the court verdict on the land transfer case Achuthanandan had accused state Industrial Minister, P K Kunhalikutty, of attempting to frame him in the case. He had also alleged that Chief Minister Oommen Chandy too backed Kunhalikutty and IUML in their attempt
.
As many as 45,000 Indians staying illegally in United Arab Emirates (UAE) are expected to seek amnesty announced by the Gulf country, Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi has said.
The two-month amnesty announced by the UAE government asking illegal residents to either leave the country without penalty or regularise their visas will start today and will end on February 3.
The Minister in a letter written to various state Chief Ministers has also requested them to make provisions for free air tickets to poor and deserving workers from respective states held up in UAE.
"In the last amnesty in 2007, approximately 40,000 Indians exited UAE based on the ECs issued by the (Indian) mission. As per our mission estimate, around 45,000 Indian staying illegally in UAE will seek amnesty as and when it is announced," Ravi said in his letter.
As most of the illegal immigrants are poor and low paid workers they will not be able to meet the cost of air travel to India and the Indian Community Welfare Fund created by the ministry will not be sufficient top meet the demand, the Minister said.
"I request you (chief ministers) also to make provision for free air tickets to needy and deserving workers from your state who is permitted to leave UAE under the amnesty scheme. I am expecting appositive response from you," the minister requested in his letter.
According to the UAE government, the amnesty will apply only to those who have overstayed their visit or resident visas in the UAE and not infiltrators, who would be treated like criminals.
Illegal residents, who have overstayed can visit residency departments across the UAE to obtain out passes and leave the country without penalties. They can also regularise their visas after paying fines between December 4 and February 3.
The country had announced a similar amnesty in 2007 during which 342,000 illegal immigrants either legalised their stay or left the country. Around 300,000 illegal immigrants left the country under another amnesty, which ran between January and April, 2002.
Similarly in 1996, about 200,000 illegal residents left the country under a six-month long amnesty.
The tiger who gave sleepless nights to the residents of Wayanad for the past several days was shot dead using a tranquilizer Sunday morning. The animal had killed two goats and a cow Saturday morning. The residents who sighted the tiger Sunday morning informed the forest department and they with the help of the task force of Kerala and Karnataka shot the animal by 8.30 am.
A tiger which was on the prowl in some areas in the district since the last few weeks was shot dead by Forest Department officials on Sunday.
The presence of the tiger had terrorised people in Naikkatty, Kottamkara and Muthanga areas in the district. It had also killed a few domestic animals including a cow.
The tiger was evading capture by moving from one place to another thwarting the efforts of a special task force from Kerala and an expert team from Karnataka Forest Department to catch it with the help of trained elephants.
Surveillance cameras were placed at strategic points inside the forest after discussions with a three-member expert team that reached in Wayanad on Saturday night from Bandipur Tiger Reserve, Wildlife Warden S Srekumar said.
The animal was spotted at Thelapparmbu at about 8:15 am.
Though the combing team fired tranquiliser at it, the tiger fled the scene. When it was spotted in a nearby coffee plantation later, another shot of tranquiliser was given.
Later it was found dead, the official said.
A couple of weeks ago, a 15-year-old tiger, which had strayed into Thirunelly and killed four cows, was trapped in a cage by the forest officials and later released in the forests of Kerala-Karnataka border.
The tiger that strayed into Naikkatty, Kottamkara and Muthanga areas seems to be approximately eight-years-old from its pug marks, forest officials had earlier said.
In a novel mode of protest against price rise and LPG subsidy cut, thousands of CPI(M) workers, sympathisers and their family members in Kerala on Saturday cooked food on highway sides in the entire stretch of the state to "symbolically express their anguish" at the anti-people policies of the central and state governments.
Termed as "fire chain" protest, party leaders and workers, a majority of them women, set up brick hearths along the highways in the evening and cooked food on pots fired by logs and twigs. The party described the campaign as a symbolic way of conveying the anger of the common man against the policies of the Centre, including the cut in subsidised LPG and failure to rein in runaway inflation.
The CPI-M in Kerala Saturday staged a protest against the central government's decision to cap the number of subsidized LPG cylinders by cooking food at various points along highways in the state.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist activists set up about 7.75 lakh temporary ovens on the highways and women were asked to join the 775-km-long 'fire chain' protest in all the districts of the state.
Participating in the protest were wives of leader of opposition V.S. Achuthanandan and state secretary of Kerala CPI-M Pinarayi Vijayan, who cooked rice and tapioca in temporary ovens set up in the heart of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram.
Vijayan launched the protest at 4.30 p.m. He was later joined by Achuthanandan.
"Generally it's the males in our party who take to the streets. But the restriction of six LPG cylinders and the price rise is affecting women in every family," said Pinarayi Vijayan's wife Kamala Vijayan.
The cooked food was later distributed among all those present. CPI-M politburo member M.A. Baby and his wife Betty Baby also joined the protest.
In Manjeswaram town of Kasargode district that borders Karnataka, CPI-M's district secretary K.P. Satish Chandran led the protesters, while in Kalyikavilla that borders Tamil Nadu, CPI-M state committee member A. Nagappan led the protest.
The 'Wall' feels that 'A' tours are becoming increasingly more important.
"I think having 'A' tours and the academy system is becoming more and more important and I think England have been pretty good with that in the way that the academy travels every winter to different parts of the world. I think that is something India can learn from England," Dravid said.
"It is about recognising that the Indian team is in a bit of transition and working out how to bring through young players who have the skill, technique, temperament and desire to play Test cricket."
