Government mulls buying aircraft for northeast

Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi Sunday said his ministry is considering buying smaller aircraft to improve connectivity in northeast India.

"Our long term plan is to improve connectivity in the region. A proposal is in our mind to acquire 26-seater aircraft to connect all (northeastern) state capitals,” Vayalar Ravi told IANS.

He added that discussions were on with Development of North Eastern Region Minister B.K. Handique.

“If any private players wants to operate in the region, we will allow them,” he added.

Ravi, who inaugurated the new terminal building of Shillong airport in Meghalaya Saturday, said his ministry had decided to make Assam's Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport a regional aviation hub.

“We have decided to build two hangars and aircraft repairing yards at the Guwahati airport,” Ravi said.

The hub is expected to be operational early next year. The central government has proposed builting 12 new airports in the region in addition to the existing 11 airports.

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Anna supports Ramdev, warns government

Ralegaon Siddhi (Maharashtra), June 2

Gandhian Anna Hazare Thursday cautioned Baba Ramdev against being "fooled" by the government and said he will support the yoga guru's fast against corruption and black money.

"I'll talk to Baba Ramdev so that he does not get influenced by government tactics. The government should not do to Baba what they did to us," Hazare told reporters at his base here.

The Congress-led government has been reaching out to Baba Ramdev to stop him from going on the fast, which is to start in New Delhi Saturday.

"They are going (to meet him) because they want to fool. They are not doing it from the heart. If they are doing it from their heart, why didn't they support him earlier? He has been demanding this for so long," Hazare asked.

Ramdev is demanding urgent steps from the government to bring back huge amounts of black money stashed away in banks abroad by super rich Indians. He also wants the government to battle corruption.

Cutting short his Kerala trip, Hazare will join Ramdev Sunday to support him on the fast.

“There are no differences between us and Swamiji. We completely support his movement and I will join him on Sunday for a few hours,” the veteran anti-corruption crusader said.

Hazare, however, said he would not be fasting with Ramdev but would support him.

Hazare was supposed to be in Kochi June 4 and 5. He fasted in April for a stronger anti-corruption Lokpal bill.

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Will Chandy government pardon UDF leader?

Will Chandy government pardon UDF leader? - Times Of India You are here: Home>Collections>GovernmentRELATED KEYWORDS:Government|RemissionWill Chandy government pardon UDF leader?IANS Jun 11, 2011, 06.15pm IST

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: R Balakrishna Pillai, chief of the Kerala Congress (B), has almost exhausted 45 days of parole in a corruption case. And now everyone is asking if the Oommen Chandy government will pardon him as his party is a partner in the ruling UDF coalition.

The 77-year-old Pillai, an eight-time legislator and a one-time Lok Sabha member, was jailed for a year in February in a two-decade-old corruption case raised by former chief minister VS Achuthanandan.

With Chandy replacing Achuthanandan as chief minister, Pillai has now attempted to take cover under a rule that says the state government is at liberty to release any prisoner above the age of 65 if they have served a particular period of their jail sentence.

Having exhausted his parole, Pillai is supposed to return to jail latest by Monday.

Soon after Chandy took over, Pillai submitted a remission petition to the authorities and the government asked for a report from Additional Director General of Police Alexander Jacob.

Jacob said he has submitted a report to the government to this effect.

"The rules do permit of remission and this provision in the past has been made use of. But there are conditions and stipulations for this provision," he said.

In the past two decades, 2,000 prisoners have been let off, of which 100 got out using the provisions in the remission rules.

Now all eyes are on what the state government does because if Pillai is given the benefit of remission, then there are 27 others who are above age 75, of whom 18 are seriously ill.

Meanwhile, Achuthanandan has raised a banner of revolt and has warned the Chandy government not to play truant and allow Pillai to walk scot free, and if it happens he would be forced to go to the court.

The issue is expected to come up before the cabinet Wednesday and all eyes are on what moral high ground would Chandy take, which would be the first real test for the government.

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Will Chandy government pardon UDF leader?

R. Balakrishna Pillai, chief of the Kerala Congress (B), has almost exhausted 45 days of parole in a corruption case. And now everyone is asking if the Oommen Chandy government will pardon him as his party is a partner in the ruling UDF coalition.

The 77-year-old Pillai, an eight-time legislator and a one-time Lok Sabha member, was jailed for a year in February in a two-decade-old corruption case raised by former chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan.

With Chandy replacing Achuthanandan as chief minister, Pillai has now attempted to take cover under a rule that says the state government is at liberty to release any prisoner above the age of 65 if they have served a particular period of their jail sentence.

Having exhausted his parole, Pillai is supposed to return to jail latest by Monday.

Soon after Chandy took over, Pillai submitted a remission petition to the authorities and the government asked for a report from Additional Director General of Police Alexander Jacob.

Jacob told IANS he has submitted a report to the government to this effect.

"The rules do permit of remission and this provision in the past has been made use of. But there are conditions and stipulations for this provision," he said.

In the past two decades, 2,000 prisoners have been let off, of which 100 got out using the provisions in the remission rules.

Now all eyes are on what the state government does because if Pillai is given the benefit of remission, then there are 27 others who are above age 75, of whom 18 are seriously ill.

Meanwhile, Achuthanandan has raised a banner of revolt and has warned the Chandy government not to play truant and allow Pillai to walk scot free, and if it happens he would be forced to go to the court.

The issue is expected to come up before the cabinet Wednesday and all eyes are on what moral high ground would Chandy take, which would be the first real test for the government.

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Kerala government says no to new liquor vends

The new United Democratic Front government in Kerala has turned down a proposal for sanction of 11 new sales outlets for Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), state Excise Minister K. Babu said here Friday.

Reaching his home town for the first time after being sworn in as minister in the Oommen Chandy-led government, Babu told newsmen here that this was the first decision he took after assuming charge.

"The first file that came to me was to sanction 11 sales outlets of the Kerala State Beverages Corporation (KSBC), the sole wholesaler of IMFL and beer in the state, but I decided that it need not be given the permission because our policy is not to see that the sales of liquor are increased," said Babu.

KSBC currently has 337 outlets and another 46 that are managed by the state-run Kerala State Consumer Federation that sells liquor and beer in retail.

Babu's decision comes at a time when liquor sales in Kerala for the 2010-11 fiscal touched dizzy heights, reaching a high of Rs.6,730.30 crore as compared to Rs.5,539.85 crore in 2009-10. The state government coffers have thus got richer, growing from Rs.4,260 crore to Rs.5,239 crore during this period.

Babu also made it clear that his policy would be to promote toddy, which is one of the ancient traditional industry but currently in bad shape.

"As a result of falling production of toddy (both tapped from coconut and palm trees), this industry is in bad shape with very few employees now left in this industry. My efforts would be to see what can be done here," said Babu.

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Kerala government says no to new liquor vends

Kochi, May 27 : The new United Democratic Front government in Kerala has turned down a proposal for sanction of 11 new sales outlets for Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), state Excise Minister K. Babu said here Friday.

Reaching his home town for the first time after being sworn in as minister in the Oommen Chandy-led government, Babu told newsmen here that this was the first decision he took after assuming charge.

"The first file that came to me was to sanction 11 sales outlets of the Kerala State Beverages Corporation (KSBC), the sole wholesaler of IMFL and beer in the state, but I decided that it need not be given the permission because our policy is not to see that the sales of liquor are increased," said Babu.

KSBC currently has 337 outlets and another 46 that are managed by the state-run Kerala State Consumer Federation that sells liquor and beer in retail.

Babu's decision comes at a time when liquor sales in Kerala for the 2010-11 fiscal touched dizzy heights, reaching a high of Rs.6,730.30 crore as compared to Rs.5,539.85 crore in 2009-10. The state government coffers have thus got richer, growing from Rs.4,260 crore to Rs.5,239 crore during this period.

Babu also made it clear that his policy would be to promote toddy, which is one of the ancient traditional industry but currently in bad shape.

"As a result of falling production of toddy (both tapped from coconut and palm trees), this industry is in bad shape with very few employees now left in this industry. My efforts would be to see what can be done here," said Babu.

--IANS

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