Latest news with #DistressReliefFund
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
HC quashes proceedings on ‘negative comments' in Whatsapp group about CMDRF account
The Kerala High Court has quashed criminal proceedings that were initiated against two persons for allegedly posting 'negative comments' in a Whatsapp group about the collection of money towards the Kerala Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) account for victims of the July 2024 Wayanad landslides. A case was registered against the petitioners under BNS on the charge of wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause rioting, for punishment for obstruction etc under the Disaster Management Act and for causing nuisance and violation of public order under the Kerala Police Act. A Bench of Justice V.G. Arun recently held that the comments, when read as a whole, makes it apparent that they were posted during the course of a discussion regarding the utilisation of the contributions made to the CMDRF. On misutilisation of funds There are comments about misutilisation of the money donated and also against the political party in power. Even if so, to assume that such comments are capable of causing riot among the public and nuisance to others is to say the least, preposterous. That the comments are not palatable to a group of people or even to the government is no reason to initiate criminal prosecution against the petitioners since the comments, though critical of the government, are well within the bounds of law. Stating that the offences alleged has not been made out in the present case, the court said that fair criticism of the government's actions cannot be termed as something done with an intention to cause rioting. Neither would it attract the provisions of Kerala Police Act. An offence under the Disaster Management Act too would not be attracted since there was no obstruction to any public servant or a refusal to comply with the directions of the government or any of its servants. The Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of speech and expression to every citizen. Fair criticism and right to express dissent is intrinsic to the concept of democratic governance. Clamping persons expressing dissent or raising criticisms with criminal cases is an affront to the democratic values enshrined in the Constitution. The comments posted by the petitioners being fair criticism, continuation of their prosecution will be an abuse of process of law and violative of the freedom of speech and expression guaranteed by the Constitution, the court added.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Kerala Cabinet approves ₹17 lakh for nurse remaining in coma after contracting Nipah
The Kerala Cabinet meeting here on Wednesday decided to provide a financial assistance of ₹17 lakh from the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund to Titto Thomas, a health worker who has been in remaining in coma at a private hospital in Kozhikode for about a year and a half after contracting Nipah encephalitis in 2023. Mr. Thomas, a Malayali nurse from Mangaluru in Karnataka, contracted the infection while attending to a patient in the 2023 outbreak of the disease at a private hospital in Kozhikode where he had been working. He hails from Mardala, near Mangaluru, in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka. Pay revision The Cabinet meeting also approved the monthly pay hike suggested for district government pleaders and public prosecutors, additional government pleaders and additional public prosecutors, and pleaders assigned to do government works. As per the decision, the monthly pay for district government pleaders and public prosecutors will be increased from ₹87,500 to ₹1,10,000. Additional government pleaders and additional public prosecutors will get a pay rise from ₹75,000 to ₹95,000 a month, while pleaders assigned for government work will now receive ₹25,000, against the current pay of ₹20,000. The revised rates will be effective retrospectively from January 1, 2022. The Cabinet meeting also approved the suggestion to hand over the V. R. Krishna Iyer Memorial Stadium in Thalassery taluk to the Thalassery municipality for 10 years on lease with riders. Commercial establishments will be allowed at the stadium only with government permission, while the land should be used only for sports-related purposes. A coordination committee should be formed with the municipal chairman at the helm and representatives from the Sports department and the Revenue department as members. Land should be made available free of charge for the official needs of the Sports department. In cases where other departments/organisations approach for sports purposes, the decision to provide the stadium at an appropriate rate should be taken jointly by the stadium management committee, the meeting suggested.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Nipah survivor from Mangaluru in coma at Kozhikode hospital to get ₹17 lakh from CMDRF
A sum of ₹17 lakh will be granted to Titto Thomas, a Mangaluru-native healthcare worker who recovered from Nipah infection in 2023, from the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF). This was decided at the State Cabinet meeting held in the capital on Wednesday (August 13, 2025). Though he tested negative for the virus, Mr. Thomas has been in a coma at a private hospital in Kozhikode for the past one-and-a-half years after being diagnosed with a relapse of Nipah encephalitis. He had initially contracted the infection while attending to a patient during the August–September 2023 outbreak at a private hospital in Kozhikode, where he had been working. He hails from Mardala, near Mangaluru, in the Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka. Mr. Thomas' case was the first reported relapse of the infection in the State, which has experienced several Nipah outbreaks and episodes till now. His brother, Shijo Thomas, told The Hindu that the financial assistance would be of great help to the family. At present, the private hospital where he had been employed is bearing the cost of his medical treatment.
New Indian Express
4 days ago
- Health
- New Indian Express
Kerala govt approves pay hike for government lawyers, sanctions aid for health workers
The Cabinet also sanctioned ₹17 lakh from the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund for Tito Thomas, a health worker from Kozhikode, who has been in a coma for over a year after contracting Nipah encephalitis in 2023. He is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital. In another decision, the V R Krishna Iyer Memorial Stadium in Thalassery will be leased to the Thalassery Municipality for 10 years under specific conditions. The land may only be used for sports and related welfare activities, with any commercial establishments requiring prior government approval. A coordination committee, chaired by the municipal chairman and comprising representatives from the Sports and Revenue Departments, will oversee management. The stadium must be made available free of charge for official Sports Department use, while other departments or organisations using it for sports purposes will be charged a reasonable fee, to be decided jointly by the stadium management committee.
The Hindu
10-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Cabinet nod for Wayanad township tripartite deal
The Cabinet on Thursday approved a tripartite agreement for implementing the Wayanad model township project to rehabilitate the survivors of the landslides last year. S. Suhas, who is the special officer for the township project, has been tasked with implementing the agreement between the district disaster management authority, contractors, and sponsors. In another decision, the Cabinet decided to allow relaxation in stamp duty and registration fee to beneficiaries under the LIFE Mission for registration of land that may have been gifted to them, purchased, or received some other way for building houses. An affidavit from the District Collector or official deputed by the Collector not below the rank of tahsildar that the person who received the land is a LIFE Mission project beneficiary and that the land is intended for constructing a house under the LIFE Mission should be produced along with registration documents. The relaxation will be in effect for two years from the date of the order. Destroyed in floods Stamp duty and registration fee will be exempted for registration of title deed for handing over houses built by the Muthoot Pappachan Foundation for nine individuals in Chittar village, Pathanamthitta, after their houses were destroyed in the floods. An amount of ₹95,32,500 will be released from the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund for distribution to 473 disaster-affected whose houses were destroyed or damaged in natural disasters in Pathanamthitta since 2023 January. The Cabinet decided to set up a tribal taluk supply office at Attappady in Palakkad district and create one post each of taluk supply officer, assistant taluk supply officer, and rationing inspector. Other staff will be redeployed from the Civil Supplies department. It decided to implement the Telecommunications (Right of Way) Rules, 2024, in the State. The Cabinet decided to allow ₹2,86,293 spent on the treatment of literacy advocate and Padma Shri awardee K.V. Rabiya to Aarifa, one of her sisters, from the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund. A government guarantee of ₹50 crore for five years will be allowed to Kerala State Development Corporation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Ltd. subject to conditions for taking loan from National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation. The government guarantee for Kerala Social Security Pension Ltd. will be raised from ₹6,000 crore to ₹14,000 crore. Reappointment E. Baiju, former district judge, will be reappointed Kerala Lok Ayukta Registrar for a period of two years. He is a resident of Thirumala in Thiruvananthapuram. The retirement age of employees of Kerala Feeds Ltd. under the Animal Husbandry department who come under the EPF pension limit has been enhanced from 58 to 60 years. Karthika S. Pillai, daughter of N. Sivarama Pillai who died in 2015 while working as forest watcher under the Forest department, will be given a job as a clerk in the Forest department in Kollam under the die-in-harness scheme. The draft of the amendment ordinance to exempt National University of Advanced Legal Studies from the purview of the Kerala Public Service Commission (Additional Functions as Respects the Services under the Universities) Act has been approved. It was decided to recommend promulgation of the ordinance to the Governor. A year-long extension from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026, will be given to the land conservancy unit at Travancore Devaswom Board's land conservancy wing special tahsildar office that comprises six posts.
