Kerala Assembly

Kerala gold smuggling: Kingpin K.T. Ramees held, sent to judicial custody

Kingpin of Kerala gold smuggling case K.T.Ramees has been arrested and sent to a jail here by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), an official said here on Friday

Vijayan to go slow on case against 7 Oppn MLAs for Assembly fiasco: Rpt

Of the seven opposition legislators named, two are women and the FIR includes charges which can fetch imprisonment for a decade

Kerala CM announces three-tier probe in Brahmapuram fire in Assembly

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday announced a three-tier probe by different agencies into the fire that broke out in a waste treatment plant at Brahmapuram in Kochi. The special investigation team (SIT) of the state police would investigate the criminal case registered in connection with the fire that broke out on March 2, he told the state Assembly. The fire at the waste dumpyard was doused completely on March 13, the Chief Minister said while making a special statement on the issue in the House. Vijayan, who had been facing intense criticism by the opposition parties for not breaking his silence on the fire incident, made the statement in the House under the Rule 300 of the Rules of Procedures and Conduct of Business of the Assembly. "The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau will probe all the procedures at the waste treatment plant so far right from its inception, he said. At the same time, an expert team would be deployed to make recommendations on how to avo

Housing 'scam' probe rocks Kerala Assembly, Cong claims BJP-Left link

Opposition members raised a ruckus over the 'Life Mission' case in the Kerala Assembly on Tuesday.The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has been probing alleged violations of Foreign Contributions (Regulation) Act (FCRA) and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) the flagship scheme of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in the state.Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, VD Satheesan, said the ruling party was being "intolerant" (in the wake of revelations in the ongoing ED probe in 'Life Mission' case), as he also lashed out at the LDF over 'evidence' connecting the Chief Minister's Office to the case.Later, addressing mediapersons on Tuesday, Satheesan invoked a speech by Congress leader and MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan saying that the government was trying deflect the charges and concerns that he raised in the "Life Mission scam case".The Congress leader also underlined the arrest of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's former principal secretary, M Sivasankaran, .

Japanese firm to help Kerala with its first waste-to-energy plant: CM

Japan-based JFE Engineering Limited has agreed to provide technical support to the upcoming waste-to-energy plant at Kozhikode, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Sunday. Keiichi Nagaya, Director, Head of Overseas Business and Environmental Solution Sector, of the firm, met the Chief Minister here and assured assistance for the state's first waste-to-energy treatment plant. Vijayan, in a Facebook post, said the firm has the experience of installing more than 350 waste disposal plants across the world. "They have assured cooperation in the fields of technology and construction for the project. The government intends to complete the construction of the plant within two years. Kerala's first Waste-to-Energy Treatment Plant is going to be established in Kozhikode," the Chief Minister further said. In the meeting held in the Chief Minister's chamber on Saturday, the company's India Managing Director B G Kulkarni, Zonta Infratech MD Raj Kumar, among others participated.

Kerala Assembly pays tribute to Turkey earthquake victims, announce aid

Expressing solidarity with the earthquake-hit people of Turkiye and Syria, the Kerala government announced Rs 10 crore assistance on Wednesday. The announcement was made by State Finance Minister K N Balagopal in the state assembly while giving reply to a debate on the budget presented last week. Announcing the assistance, the minister said it was the central government which should dispatch the aid to the affected countries. Earlier in the day, the House paid homage to the people who had lost their lives following the recent massive earthquake. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, while presenting a resolution paying tribute to the victims, termed the natural disaster as an "unparalleled tragedy" and said the February 6 earthquake had shocked the consciousness of the world. "Thousands of precious lives were lost due to the earthquake. There was also massive destruction. Our country also experienced natural calamities in the past," he said. Wherever such tragedies happen, the ...

Kerala Assembly set to begin 33-day-long Budget Session from today

This is the eighth session of this 15th legislative assembly in Kerala and will start from January 23 up till March 30

Eighth session of 15th Kerala Assembly to begin from January 23

The eighth session of the 15th Kerala Assembly will be convened from January 23. A special cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, decided to recommend Governor Arif Mohammed Khan to convene the session from January 23, a CMO statement said on Thursday. A ministerial sub-committee has been entrusted with the preparation of the draft of the Governor's policy address, it added. The Left government is expected to present its budget for the next financial year during the upcoming session.

Kerala official suspended over derogatory remark against defence personnel

An official attached to Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation Limited, (Supplyco), has been suspended for making an "objectionable" remark against the defence personnel

Bills to remove Guv as chancellor, up tax on foreign liquor in Assembly

The seventh session of the Kerala Legislative Assembly, set to begin from Monday, is expected to see heated discussions on various Bills. The Bills include the one which aims to take away the powers of the Chancellor from the Governor, the issue of Vizhinjam port protests, and the controversy over appointments in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. The session was convened in the wake of the ongoing tussle between Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and the ruling LDF over functioning of universities in the State and appointments therein. However, the Bill to replace the Governor with eminent academicians at the helm of universities in the State is just one among over 20 other Bills which are expected to be taken up in the House during the session which concludes on December 15. Another important Bill that is likely to witness heated discussions is the Kerala General Sales Tax (Amendment) Bill which aims to increase by four per cent the Kerala GST on foreign liquor to make up for the loss

No parallel activities can be allowed in state Congress: Kerala LoP

Apparently rattled by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor's Malabar tour, Leader of Opposition in the Kerala assembly, V D Satheesan on Tuesday said any kind of sectarianism or parallel activities would not be allowed in the party and warned that such moves would be dealt with "seriously." The state unit of the Congress is on a comeback path in the state after two consecutive debacles in the Assembly elections and it is not healthy enough to afford any more parallel activities by anyone, Satheesan told reporters here. His remarks come as a significant section of the Congress party in the state were unhappy with Tharoor's ongoing tour. Asked about Tharoor's Malabar tour, Satheesan said every leader has a space within the Congress and no one is against it, but the party has its own mechanisms and systems. "The Congress in Kerala is not at all healthy to afford any more parallel activities...After suffering two drubbings in the assembly polls, the party is on a comeback mode in the state. ...

Kerala Assembly passes contentious University Laws Bill; UDF boycotts

The Kerala Assembly on Thursday passed the contentious University Laws (Amendment) Bill 2022, which would result in curtailing the powers of the Governor as Chancellor of state universities. The opposition Congress-UDF boycotted the House proceedings before voting alleging that the government was trying to appoint "puppets" of the ruling party in key posts in varsities. Announcing their boycott, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly V D Satheesan said the Bill was an "insult" to the higher education sector of the state. The Bill would affect the autonomy of the universities and would set a wrong precedent in the higher education sector, he charged before walking out of the hall. However, Higher Education Minister R Bindu claimed that the opposition and media's propaganda that the Bill would strip the powers of the Governor was wrong. The Bill was passed at a time when the ruling CPI(M) was facing nepotism charges from opposition parties in connection with the faculty appointment in

Kerala Assembly passes Lok Ayukta Bill despite stiff opposition by UDF

Despite stiff opposition raised by the UDF members and their subsequent boycott, the Kerala Assembly on Tuesday passed the controversial Lok Ayukta (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to make the executive the appellate authority over reports by the anti-corruption watchdog. After hours-long heated arguments and debates, the opposition announced their boycott of the day's proceedings saying they did not want to witness the "killing" of the anti-corruption agency using its brute majority in the Assembly. Before walking out of the House, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan said it was a "black day" in the history of the state Assembly. "The opposition cannot support the attempt made by the government to eliminate and weaken an anti-corruption agency. We are registering our stern opposition against passing this bill...we will fight it tooth and nail," he said. When the Congress-led opposition alleged that the bill, which carries away the rights of the constitutional agency, would weaken the

Silver Line project not shelved, hopeful of clearance, says Kerala CM

Kerala's biggest infrastructure project Silver Line (K-Rail) has not been shelved and is awaiting the Centre's clearance, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan informed state Kerala Assembly

Kerala LA begins today, bills to replace 11 lapsed ordinances on agenda

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan earlier this month refused to give his assent to 11 ordinances that lapsed without studying them in detail

75th I-Day: UDF urges Kerala CM special midnight session of Assembly

Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Assembly V D Satheesan submitted a letter to the Chief Minister and the Speaker suggesting the same.

Murmu receives unexpected vote from Kerala; BJP terms it 'positive vote'

During the counting of votes for the presidential elections, Droupadi Murmu was found to have received one vote from Kerala, a state with no BJP legislator in the 140-member Assembly

Oppn seeks adjournment of Assembly to discuss power tariff hike in Kerala

The Congress-led UDF opposition on Monday sought an adjournment of the Kerala assembly proceedings to discuss the increase in power tariffs

Opposition protest in assembly against M M Mani's remarks continues

Congress-led UDF opposition on Monday continued their protest in the Kerala assembly against CPI(M) legislator M M Mani's controversial remarks against a woman MLA

Kerala Assembly passes unanimous resolution against LIC IPO

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who moved the resolution in the Assembly, opined that leaving the insurance giant to the interests of private players would not be beneficial to the country