Totally unnecessary

The new order by Kerala Finance Department relating to salary challenge by excluding no-consent letter of employees and making consent letter mandatory, is a puny attempt to save face from the humiliation that it received from SC. The new order was issued on the basis of supreme court verdict over salary challenge. As per the new order those who are willing to donate one-month salary to Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund  have to give a consent letter to the department.

By this time, those employees who were willing to contribute to CMDRF have already done it  But the callous attitude of Finance Department has made the situation worse. By the new order the government is unlikely to bring any good result.  Donate or not to donate, is a ones' personal matter and no agency has right to compel anyone. Collecting of consent letter from employees will make a divide among them, which is totally unnecessary.
K A Solaman

Do not divert fund

The huge fund collected  to rebuild the state in the aftermath of the worst flood disaster, is likely to go otterwise. The  proposal Rs 80 crore apartment complex for state legislators should be viewed in this direction. The proposed plan is to demolish an old building in the Legislators Complex and build a multi-storeyed housing complex in its place.
It looks like that Legislators Complex was demolished in flood.

The  flood caused severe damage and  brought in untold miseries to people of various districts. Thousands of people went homeless.  Estimates say the floods has caused a destruction of over Rs 40,000 crore. The people from all walks of life have contributed liberally to relief fund. So it is not right right on the part of  government to divert the amount for other purposes

K A Solaman

Fire cracker use

The Supreme Court alloweirg sale and use of firecrackers with specific conditions, is in the right direction. A total ban ot fire crackers is undesirable as many people earn their livilihood by working with fire cracker industry.

Supreme court fixing  8 pm to 10 pm time schedule for bursting of firecrackers on Diwali and other festivals, is also welcome as rest of the day can protected from high dB sound. However, the big handicap is, most users of fire crackers will not follow the time schedule. No police officer is seen to take iterest in checking sound pollution, The permission  for sale and manufacture of "green" crackers which have low emission seems good but a clear demarkation between green crackers and others, is practically difficult.

Interestingly all agencies function with least regard to sound pollution rules.
So the SHOs should come forward with calibrated sound meter equipment to measure the decibel levels. If anyone found violating  the rule regarding time schedule and dB levels of crackers, he must be brought to book regardless of  religious or political backing.

K A Solaman

Last Action Hero.

Tomin Thachankari, the MD,  is seemingly the last action hero of  KSRTC. The lightning strike  by KSRTC employees and the subsequent withdrawal, is the solid example of mismanagement in KSRTC. The misinformed MD will likely to ruin KSRTC.

KSRTC employees in various districts had called for a lightning strike in protest over the decision to assign Kudumbashree to handle the reservation counter. Bus service from these depots was disrupted. Then the question is: who entrusted Thachankari to take a decision that adversely affect the normal functiohing of the Corporation.

Perhaps Thachankari is of opinion that woman entry to Sabarimala is a hot topic of discussion and the government sponsors it. So if a similar woman entry is made in KSRTC through backdoor he will also get acclades. May be this wrong perception put KSRTC in trouble.

Kudumbashree also need discipline to not enter the sectors where there are permanent employees.

K A Solaman

Helmet programme not feasible

Bizarre are the inventions of Kerala police. One such is the issue of  ISI-marked helmets to replace the damaged helmets in accidents. This will be given if the mishap happened within Kozhikode city limits. The helmets are given away under a programme by the Kozhikode city traffic police in co-ordination with Suzuki Motors Pvt Ltd.

The interesting aspect is, in order to avail the new helmet, one just has to reach the police station after the accident along with a complaint and the broken helmet. In fact, this programme is unlikely.to run as there would be no buyers for helmet from police station after a serious helmet broken accident.

If the Kozhikode police so desire to announce their name in public let them come with programmes such as  giving black tea to night drivers etc. Think practically and introduce feasible programmes.

K A Solaman

Setting everything right?

Kerala won’t reduce tax, then what Is the  fun in asking the Centre to reduce tax?

Finance Minister Thomas Issac saying that the state government will not reduce tax on petrol and diesel, is deplorable. The Centre has reduced Rs 2.5 per litre  on petrol and diesel. It is then obligatory for State Government to bring down price proportionately. Instead of doing this, the F M saying that  the Centre first reduce the full amount it hiked and the state government would then think about reducing tax, is ridiculous.

If thirteen states of India could adhere to  the words of Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley asking the state governments  to reduce Rs 2.5/litre of VAT, the Kerala Government that is determined to set everything right, also should reduce the fuel tax.

K A Solaman

Serious lapse

Adminstration of contaminated  oral polio vaccine to children in Maharashtra, Telengana and  Uttar Pradesh, is a serious lapse. The makers and distributors of this vaccine should be punished. Along with there must be  surveillance to trace any aftereffect due to the use of this vaccine among children.
It is a pity that in many countries disease kills people and its medicine kills more.

K A Solaman