No to retirement age hike.

Setting aside all the burning problems, Kerala is in a new phase of debate on the hike of retirement age. In tune with the routine of the neo-liberalists in the Kerala CPM to overthrow all the decisions of the Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, soon after his statement in the Assembly that no policy decision has been taken on increasing the retirement age of government employees, the Finance Minister announced in his ‘election gimmick’ budget a hike in the retirement age of some employees about one year. The reason suggested by him for this is unjustifiable as the proposal is quite ludicrous when there are thousands of unemployed youths in the state.

Sensing that election time is much suited for all unjustifiable demands several employees' organisations have demanded that the retirement age be increased from the present 55 years. The report of the Assembly Expenditure Committee recommending raising of the pension age has enthused these organisations. The expenditure panel is worried over the share of the State’s revenues was being allocated for distributing the salaries and pensions of the employees. More interesting is the suggestion for bringing down the upper age limit for applying for Government jobs by three years. Kerala’s high life expectancy in contrast to that in other states has worried the Expenditure committee. If so it would have been better for the committee to place a proposal to decapitate all pensioners in the state so that no pension need be paid henceforth. The Expenditure committee has received its inspiration from Thirteenth Finance Commission’s finding that State’s revenue receipts was being spent on pensions. Both the Finance Commission and Expenditure Committee subsist in the fools’ paradise.

It is to be pointed that any move to raise the pension age of employees would have serious repercussion in a State where the number of thousands educated youth are waiting for employment. An online survey has found strong opposition to the proposal to raise the mandatory retirement age in order to address the huge deficit in the pension fund. When most people believe that the proposal for rise in retirement age will worsen the unemployment situation in that State it is a ploy of a few bureaucrats and crafty politicians to hoodwink the unemployed youths. If retirement age is hiked the unemployment situation will worsen further because increase in new jobs mainly relies on vacancies provided by retirees. The Gulf and European countries returnees on economic recession will also worsen the unemployment condition. Official statistics show that when 100 residents enter the job market each year, there are less than 50 new openings. It is to be categorically pointed that unemployment is more an urgent problem than the social security fund deficit.
So it should be opposed by all especially by the youths the LDF Government's move to raise the retirement age. Government should also announce its policy towards the youth. Though the Government claims a lot, none in the Cabinet has thought of a long-term programme to tackle the problem of the unemployed youths. What is in need is to evolve such a programme instead of treating over the skin. A hike in the retirement age would badly affect the chances of young and qualified unemployed in getting jobs elsewhere.

K A Solaman

Isaac’s budget- an election gimmick

What is proposed in Kerala Finance Minster Thomas Isaac’s budget is an election gimmick. May be a retired man’s vow, the decision to enhance the retirement period about one year for those born in April or May is visionless. It is Isaac’s eyewash to satisfy the party cadres in the bureaucracy and a cruelty to thousands of unemployed youths in the state. The organizations of the youth in Kerala are rather defenseless or under illusion due to acute political connection to not see the cruelty against them. Isaac needs the help of present bureaucrats in the next election for collusion with party’s agents in the booth to oust the agents of political opponents during election days. Withholding pension benefits of those people for one year, who are about retire, generate further burden for the government in the next year.

The proposal to mobilise fund by selling lottery tickets is an unproductive process and it makes more and more people official beggars of the state. Even cine stars are in the street to loot the hard earned money of the poor people by way of lottery. If lottery is the only way for development of the state, the economics behind it would be thoroughly revised. Spending money recklessly for lottery and mobile phones makes illiterate people poorer.

There is nothing new in Isaac’s budget other than hollow words. What we need in a State budget is not a temporary advance to construct a road in Mararikulam constituency but a long-term vision. Though Isaac meditated for long in Nature’s lap to get fresh idea for budget preparation it lacked this aspect.

K A Solaman

Interim Union Budget 2009

The unfounded abuse of Opposition parties, especially the Left, is evident from their hollow comment about the Union interim budget. According to them the budget is more of a report card on the government in the last 5 years than any specific new proposal. If so the pros and cons of the budget is very much related to Opposition Left who were in the berth until recently. There are two points which are good for the people. The first is the attention given to school and higher education and second is the pay out for urban infrastructure. Yet another plus point is the enhance expenditure on rural employment program.
Nevertheless the Budget is a shock to the fixed income group, especially the retired pensioners. Though the Budget is keeping in lines with the radical changes aimed at uplifting the economy, it certainly lacks objectives. The industry is ailing because of a global recession and the Budget pleases no one. The Stock Market tumbled and there is no measure to control ever increasing gold price. It is only gold merchants who earn substantially even in the economic meltdown. It is true that there are certain provisions in the Union Budget that are likely to have a negative impact on Kerala’s growth but the Kerala’s Finance Miniter Thomas Isaac’s adverse comment on Union budget is unsubstantiated. As Union Minister Vayalar Ravi said “Isaac speaks volume but acts little”

K A Solaman

Lalu-Velu Rails

Lalu Prasad Yadav is known for his lectures at IIMs on management of Indian Railway, but he lacks information about Kerala’s rail growth. Lalu’s budget is totally not up to scratch for Kerala as he gave much of the reward for Bihar and Velu took away the residual for Tamil Nadu. And in both states ticket less travelers are far more compared to other sates and in Kerala one could not find a traveler without ticket.trains.

Last time when Marxists were in accord in UPA there was some assistance to Kerala by Lalu. However as a mark of protest to hoodwink people, MPs from the state shared a photo session protest in Parliament. And this time chance for that meek protest is also little as the MPs are busy with other business. If the MPs keep a genuine interest for Kerala growth they should immediately resign from Parliament and show their dissent to Lalu. MPs from Kerala had not considered the railway matter gravely and well in advance
There was no mention of the most important demand Kerala had been raising: Thiruvananthapuram-based peninsular railway zone. The State had also demanded networking of Vallarpadam, Vizhinam, Kollam, Alappuzha, Ponnani, Beypore and Azheekkal harbours on the western coast in the proposed Delhi-Mumbai freight corridor. The wagon repair unit proposed for Alappuzha was Kerala's demand that Lalu Prashad chose not to comprise in his interim budget.

It is better for Kerala Law Minister M Vijayakumar, who hold the charge for Railways in the State, to abandon that responsibility.

K A Solaman

A scam in the making

Sir—The reason why Kerala Port and Law Minister M Vijayakumar, an Achuthanandan loyalist in the State Cabinet, is currently distancing himself from the Chief Minister is finally starting to come to light. There is something definitely fishy in the granting of the contract for the Vizhinjam port project to Hyderabad-based consortium Lanco Kondappally Power Limited rejecting Zoom’s proposal. Another scam similar to the Lavalin fraud can be anticipated.

KA Solaman

Pioneer daily 12-2-08 http://www.dailypioneer.com/

Indiscipline is not only in politics.

Kerala State Finance Minister Thomas Isaac’s economics is not coming up to the mark and that is the indication one gets from the Finance Commission of India. The Thirteenth Finance Commission criticised Kerala harshly for not adopting measures in economic disciplines. The commission said Kerala was way behind other States in the matter of economic discipline. According to the commission Kerala's revenue and fiscal deficits were in excess than most of the other States. Taxes and non-tax revenues were coming down in Kerala and there should be efforts to enhance the tax collection, the commission said.

Possibly the commission has read in news papers about the utter failure Isaac’s VAT lottery and ‘corruption less’ Valayar check post. In this context Thomas Isaac is likely to appear in his party channel to make it clear that all the commission members are under the handwork of CIA and their allegation is politically motivated as in the case of Lavalin probe by the CBI.

K A Solaman

You receive what you deserve.

When there was a shoe attack on former US President George W Bush by Al-Baghdadia television reporter it was described as a heinous act by Iraqi Government and majority sections across the globe. But because of sheer American hate practice the Marxists in India were erupted in joy at the shoe attack. Images of Bush ducking the fast-flying shoes at a Baghdad press conference were invigorating for many left cadres in India. However, for me it appears, the event of Bush, being the President of a great nation, receiving a shoe is same as Pinarayi Vijayan, the Kerala State Secretary of CPM receiving a chappal. A shoe costs several times a chappal as Bush to Pinarayi. How reasonable are hurlers of Shoes and chappals!

Hurling shoe is a most heinous act for Iraqis. How does it matter for Communist leader in China and his counterpart in a small State like Kerala is a very interesting topic?

K A Solaman

Be alert Kannadigas.

Malayalam Cine Megastar (?)Mammootty has now taken up a Kannada project and would soon appear in Kannada movie Shikari.. Interestingly the sex desire of Kannadigas are likely to strip down to girls of tender age.

Mammootty, the actor soon to hit sixty is playing Romeo roles with cute girls of one- fourth of his age in Malayalam films. He created a taste among Malayalis to have sex with tender girls and this in turn resulted in sex scandals like Suryanelli, Kiliroor, Kaviyur, Vithura, Icecream and others. The Kannadigas having no such desire until now are likely to be shifted to this repulsive phase.

Mammootty is a versatile actor, of course, but his recent contributions urges one to think that he is not in a mood to admit his age. Though films such as Mayavi, Thaskaraveran, Parunthu and Annan Thampi reveal that his hands and legs are inflexible due to age, he wishes to run and roll like teens and this of course generate disgust in viewers. So what is not in doubt is that if Kanndadigas are to going to allow Mammootty in Valentine model films their children are likely to be taken to psychiatrists for sexual aberrations.