No less than 3 cases of rape are reported in the State everyday : Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala

Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala informed the Kerala legislative Assembly on Wednesday that at least three cases of rape are reported in the State every day. He was quoting figures from a report of the State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB) which was tabled in the Assembly. 

 

Home Minister, Ramesh Chennithala

As many as 981 rape cases were reported in the State during the January-September period year. Of this, 550 related to rape of those in the 1-17 age group, Mr. Chennithala said in reply to a question by K.S. Saleekha of the Communist Party of India. Thirvuananthapuram district recorded the highest number of rapes (143), followed by Kollam (121), Ernakulam (93), Thrissur (90), and Kozhikode (68). 

Among the cities, Thiruvananthapuram registered 52 cases, followed by Ernakulam (47), and Kozhikode (23). Kasaragod district registered the lowest number of rapes-  37. 

January-September period also saw 3,390 cases of molestation, 111 kidnap, 206 eve-teasing, 16 dowry deaths, 3,705 cases of cruelty by ‘husband and relatives,’ and 2,281 other offences against women. In all, 10,690 cases of crime against women were reported until September this year. 

As many as 223 male children were sexually abused during the period, resulting in 211 arrests. The police arrested 1,089 persons in connection with the 981 rape cases, but trial had not been completed in even one. 

As many as 625 persons had been arrested for rape of those in the 1-17 age group. Of the accused, 19 were government, semi-government, public sector, IT, and private sector employees. The accused included government doctors; police, forest, Fire and Rescue Services, and excise personnel; teachers in the government and aided sector; and Kerala State Electricity Board and Kerala Water Authority officials. Mr. Chennithala added that as many as 124 harassment and 13 rape cases were registered against police personnel after the United Democratic Front-led Government came to power

In 2013, 1,221 cases of rape, 4,362 molestation, 185 kidnap, 404 eve-teasing, 21 dowry death, 4,820 cases of cruelty by ‘husband and relatives’ and 2,725 other offences had been reported to the police.

Subject Committee of the Kerala Assembly tables its report on the Kerala Maritime Board Bill, 2014

The SUBJECT COMMITTEE V (WORKS, TRANSPORT & COMMUNICATION) of the Kerala Legislative Committee has submitted its report on the Kerala Maritime Board Bill, 2014 to the Assembly.

 

 

Subject Committee has recommended that the Kerala Maritime Board Bill, 2014 be adopted with certain recommendations

 

The Committee comprises of Minister of Public Works, V.K. Ebrahim Kunju as its chairman, Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, Minister for Forests, Environment, Transport, Sports and Cinema and Shri K. Babu, Minister for Fisheries, Ports & Excise as its ex-offico members, and MLA’s K. V. Abdul Khader, C. P. Mohammed, Jose Thettayil, K. Kunhiraman (Trikkaripur), K. K. Lathika,  K. Muraleedharan, K. Raju and C. F. Thomas as its members. 

The Committee considered the Bill clause by clause at its meeting held on December 4, 2014 and has recommended that the Bill be adopted with certain modifications.

The report of the Subject Committee on the Kerala Maritime Board Bill, 2014 can be accessed here.

LDF stages walkout in Kerala Assembly alleging lack of seriousness on the part of the State Government in tackling KSRTC crisis

The Opposition on Monday staged a walkout in the Kerala Assembly accusing the state government of failing to tackle the crisis gripping the Kerala Road Transport Corporation. Seeking leave for an adjournment motion, CPI-M MLA Elamaram Kareem said the salaries of about 46,000 permanent and temporary employees were delayed for the first time and were given after more than a week. Seeking leave for the motion, Mr. Elamaram Kareem said the Government had not approached the issue with seriousness forgetting that KSRTC was the biggest public utility in the state on which people depend heavily for travelling.

 

"Rather than blaming one another, there is a need to put our heads together and work out a solution", said Transport Minister Thiruvanchur Radhakrishnan

 “About 37,000 pensioners are concerned, payments to them are in arrears for about two months. When we [CPI-M] ruled [2006-11], a delay never happened. The state government is not sincere and is only talking about working out a rehabilitation package but no action is forthcoming,” said Mr. Kareem. Mr. Kareem blamed Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s Government and said it has come to a stage where KSRTC land at several places has been pledged and it is this money which is being used to keep the largest state public sector company afloat.

Responding to the notice given by Mr. Elamaram Kareem, the Transport Minister Mr. Thiruvanchur Radhakrishnan said the Government approached the issue with seriousness and had already taken measures to overcome the problems plaguing the KSRTC, the biggest public utility in the state. He said the state government is committed to the development of the KSRTC and its employees as it provides transport to hundreds of thousands of people daily. 

Pending salary of the employees had been disbursed and some long-term measures to resolve the financial crisis in the state-run company were also under consideration, Radhakrishnan said.

There was a wide mismatch between the revenue and expenditure in the operations of KSRTC. The government aimed at increasing the daily collection of the corporation from Rs 5.5 crore to Rs 7.5 crore, the minister said.

 “Your Government (the LDF government during 2006-11) during the five-year period gave only Rs599 crore Today the situation is such that there is a huge gap in the daily collection and expenses. The yearly loss of the KSRTC has crossed Rs. 519 crore,” said Radhakrishnan. 

 “We (the government) have decided to restructure the loans of the KSRTC, as most of them are those where the interest rates are as high as 16.25 per cent. We are in talks with other lending institutions and expect to save Rs. 120 crore if the loans are restructured,” he said.

“We will ensure that about 1,900 new buses are put into service, besides retiring an equal number of vehicles. We will do a complete rescheduling of routes and increase the non-operating revenue,” said Radhakrishnan.

“During your time, land was pledged as collateral security for loans taken and you should understand that Rs. 600 crore has been the outflow for building shopping complexes and it has not earned the desired income. So rather thanblaming one another, there is a need to put our heads together and work out a solution,” said Radhakrishnan. 

In view of the Minister’s reply, Deputy Speaker of the Kerala Assembly, N. Sakhtan rejected the notice for adjournment on the issue moved by Mr. Elamaram Kareem, following which the LDF members staged a walkout. Leading his colleagues out, Leader of the Opposition, Mr. V.S. Achuthanandan said the financial aid sanctioned by the government was too meagre.

Winter Session of the Kerala Assembly to commence on Monday; Opposition likely to corner Government on a host of issues

The twelfth session of the thirteenth Kerala Legislative Assembly will commence on December 1, Monday. 

Kerala Legislative Assembly

Earlier, Speaker G. Karthikeyan, on Wednesday, had called a meeting of the leaders of all political parties represented in the Assembly to solicit their cooperation for the smooth conduct of the upcoming session of the House starting on December 1.

The 14-day-long winter session beginning on December 1 is likely to be a stormy affair with the CPI-M led LDF Opposition all set to take on the UDF Government on a host of issues, including the alleged bar licence bribery involving Finance Minister K M Mani. Pouncing on the issue, the LDF had demanded Mani's resignation and had warned the government that it would launch a series of agitations if he did not quit the post. CPI Legislature Party leader C Divakaran on Friday had said that Finance Minister K M Mani, who is under a cloud of suspicion following the revelation by Biju Ramesh, Bar Owners’ Association leader that Mani had accepted bribes, should keep away from attending the Assembly session.

The outbreak of avian flu leading to mass deaths of ducks, causing huge losses to farmers in Alappuzha, Kottayam and Pathanmthitta districts would be another major topic of debate in the Assembly, which has been convened primarily to take up legislative business.

The long drawn-out students' agitation at the University of Calicut, which has virtually stalled the administration in the University is also likely to be raised on the floor of the House. CPI(M) politburo member and Deputy leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has been quoted in the media as making a statement to that effect.

The session is scheduled to devote 11 days for transacting legislative business, Speaker G. Karthekeyan said. As many as 18 ordinances issued by the government when the House was not in session has to be replaced. The same has been accorded top priority, and placed at the top of the list of the legislative business to be transacted. Earlier, CPI Legislature Party leader C Divakaran on Friday had criticized that what has been going on in the state is an ‘’ordinance raj". Some of these ordinances are anti-people and government was seeking the approval of the Assembly, Divakaran said.The CPI leader added that Rs 3000 crore worth additional taxes were imposed on the people by enhancing the fair value of land, stamp duty and registration fee.

The Bills to be introduced to replace the Ordinances issued by the Government when the House was not in session, include, inter alia, the Kerala Motor Vehicles Taxation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2014, the Kerala Maritime Board Ordinance, 2014, Kerala Devaswom Recruitment Board Ordinance, 2014, Kerala Land Tax (Amendment) Ordinance, 2014, Kerala Taxation Laws (Amendment) Ordinance, 2014, Kerala Tolls (Amendment) Ordinance, 2014, and the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (Passenger Group Personal Accident Insurance, Improved Passenger Amenities, Employees' Social Security and Cess on Ticket) Ordinaance, 2014. 

The University Laws (Third Amendment) Bill and the Kerala Panchayat Raj (Second Amendment) Bill are  the two Bills reported by the Subject Committee of the Assembly that is also scheduled to be taken up in the upcoming session.