Kerala chief minister's office to function 24x7 (Lead)

In a first for India, the Kerala chief minister's office will function 24x7 with the state cabinet Wednesday sanctioning the move.

"Even though my office has already started to work round-the-clock, the official sanction of the cabinet came only today," Chief Minister Oomen Chandy told reporters after the weekly cabinet meeting.

As part of the 24x7 operations, his office proceedings will be webcast.

"If I say everything now, then there won't be news in this. You wait a little longer when I will give you all the details and also invite you to my office," he said.

Ever since Chandy assumed office on May 18th heading the United Democratic Front government, the accesibility to the chief minster's office has increased, visitors say.

Asked about the possible mismatch between his speed of work and that of the bureaucracy, Chandy replied: "I will never blame the officials because I do my job and it is my responsibility to see that the job gets done and I will take the blame if things don't work."

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Minister's daughter gives up PG medical seat

Minister's daughter gives up PG medical seat - Times Of India You are here: Home>CollectionsMinister's daughter gives up PG medical seatPTI Jun 7, 2011, 06.43pm IST

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amid controversy over reportedly securing a seat for his daughter by paying capitation fee in a cooperative self-financing medical college, Kerala health minister Adoor Prakash on Tuesday said his daughter would give up the seat.

"I have decided to give up the admission for postgraduate course offered to my daughter Dr P Yamuna in the wake of the controversy", Prakash said.

"Though, there was no irregularity in getting her admission to Pariyaram Medical College in Kannur, I have decided to give up the seat in view of the moral value that a public servant should be above suspicion', the Congress minister said.

Denying reports that he had paid Rs 80 lakh for the seat under management quota to get the admission, Prakash said he had only paid the first year's fee of Rs 28 lakh.

"I have not influenced the admission process at any stage either as a MLA or as a minister as the admission process was completed in March 31 itself", he said.

There were allegations that all seats were converted to payment seats under management quota as there was delay in government furnishing the list of candidates for appointment in government quota in self-financing medical colleges.

He said CPI-M controlled management of the college had also clarified that there were no irregularities in the admission process.

Meanwhile, opposition leader V S Achuthanandan demanded an inquiry in the admissions to PG courses in self-financing medical colleges and also into Prakash's daughter getting admission.

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Five Indian ministers at Toronto's mini-PBD

Canadian Governor General David Johnston will join Vayalar Ravi, oversees Indian affairs minister, and his four cabinet colleagues in welcoming the Indian diaspora to the mini Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) here next week.

Preneet Kaur, minister of state for external affairs, Ashwani Kumar, minister of state for planning and science and technology, Sachin Pilot, minister of state for communications, Jitin Prasada, minister of state for road transport, Sam Pitroda, adviser to the prime minister, and Arun Maira, member of the Planning Commission, are other top Indian dignitaries attending the two-day gathering at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre here from June 9.

The biggest conclave in Canada of the Indian-origin people in North America and the Caribbean is expected to attract about 1,000 delegates.

With its theme of 'Building Bridges: Positioning Strategies for the Indian Diaspora,' the PBD will serve as a platform to the diaspora to connect with India and participate in its growth, say Indian officials here.

The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas "offers unparalleled opportunities for networking, advancing linkages across multiple sectors - business, innovation, healthcare and culture; fostering partnerships in the small and medium-sized business sectors, providing ideas for cultural, generational and gender connections and nurturing the rapidly growing relationship between Canada and India,'' says the Indian high commission.

Divided into various sessions, the two-day gathering will focus on India's strides in economic development, innovation, science and technology, healthcare and tele-medicine and explore possibilities of collaboration with the diaspora and Canada.

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry in India (ASSOCHAM) will hold a round-table on business opportunities in India.

Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty and prominent Indo-Canadians, including Scotiabank vice chairman Sabi Marwah and Fairfax Holdings chairman Prem Watsa, are also scheduled to address the gathering.

A performance by Bollywood singer Shibani Kashyap will be part of the two-day proceedings.

(Gurmukh Singh can be contacted at gurmukh.s@ians.in)

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Kerala minister's call to Tamil Nadu

Kochi, Jun 10: Kerala Water Resources Minister P J Joseph today urged the Tamil Nadu government to cooperate with the Kerala government in their efforts to construct a new dam in place of the Century-old one at Mullaperiyar.

Talking reporters here, he said the need for a new dam was to ensure the safety of more than 30-lakh people.

"Considering the safety of the people living in the areas near the dam, the Tamil Nadu government should associate itself with the state government to solve the issue amicably through dialogue," he said.

The minister also reiterated that the Kearla government would provide the same quantity of water to Tamil Nadu, which they were receiving now.

--UNI

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Chandy expands cabinet, inducts 13 more ministers

Thiruvananthapuram, May 23 : Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy expanded his cabinet Monday by including 13 more ministers in the United Democratic Front (UDF) government he leads.

Governor R.S. Gavai administered the oaths of office and secrecy to the new ministers. With this, the strength of the cabinet rose to 20.

Chandy and six others were sworn in May 18.

Among the 13 new ministers, nine are from the Congress party - Aryadan Mohammed, Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, Adoor Prakash, A.P. Anil Kumar, P.K. Jayalekshmi, C.N. Balakrishnan, K. Babu, K.C. Joseph and V.S. Sivakumar.

The other ministers include M.K. Muneer, V.K. Ebrahim Kunju, P.K. Abdu Rabb (Indian Union Muslim League) and P.J. Joseph (Kerala Congress-Mani).

Jayalekshmi, 29, became the state's first minister from the tribal community. She represents Mananthavady constituency in Wayanad district.

P.J. Joseph, who was part of the previous Left Front government representing the Kerala Congress faction that he led, later quit the ministry and joined Kerala Congress (Mani), a leading UDF partner.

There is one more vacancy in the cabinet over which heated talks are continuing between the UDF allies.

--IANS

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