Latest news with #TMThomasIsaac
New Indian Express
25-04-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Kerala HC amicus flags T M Thomas Isaac's appointment to non-existent department
KOCHI: The amicus curiae appointed by the Kerala High Court to assist the court in a public interest litigation challenging the appointment of former finance minister T M Thomas Isaac as an advisor to the Vijnana Keralam (Knowledge Kerala) project has informed that the appointment made is to a department that does not exist. Considering the submission, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice S Manu impleaded Isaac as an additional respondent. It also directed the Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council (K-DISC) and Isaac to file a reply to the report of the amicus curiae. The petitioner, who claimed to be a public activist, had submitted that the government order stated that, 'For the coordination of activities of 'Vijnana Keralam', it was decided to appoint Isaac as the advisor of the project till the end of the tenure of the present government. This was a clear example of nepotism and favouritism,' the petitioner alleged. Isaac was appointed the advisor for Knowledge Kerala Project by the government in December 2024.
Time of India
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Appointment as Knowledge Kerala project adviser: HC issues notice to former finance minister Thomas Isaac
Kochi: High court has issued notice to former state finance minister T M Thomas Isaac and the vice-chairperson of Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council in a petition challenging Isaac's appointment as an adviser for the ' Vijnana Keralam ' ( Knowledge Kerala ) project. A bench of Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice S Manu directed both respondents to file their replies before the next posting date, May 27. The petitioner alleged that Isaac was appointed as project adviser by a govt order dated Dec 12, 2024, and had agreed to render his services free of charge. However, the order included provisions for allotting Rs 70,000 per month as fuel expenses for the vehicle used by Isaac for official purposes and for paying wages and daily allowances to his driver at rates fixed under state govt contracts. The petitioner, Navas, further alleged that over Rs 1 lakh are being spent monthly on an adviser for a post under an 'imaginary department and project,' resulting in a significant loss to the public exchequer. Previously, while considering the petition, the division bench enquired into the credentials of the petitioner, removed him, and appointed a lawyer as amicus curiae to assist the court. The amicus curiae filed a detailed report stating that the appointment of Isaac was to a department that does not exist. Since Isaac had not been arrayed as a respondent, HC suo motu impleaded him in the petition and issued notice.
New Indian Express
23-04-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Thanks to Sneha's poem, her school in Kerala gets new building
PALAKKAD: It began with a poem penned by an eighth grader in 2021 at the height of the COVID pandemic. The verses, expressing unwavering belief in brighter days ahead – quiet reflections of a young mind – resonated far and wide, eventually finding a place in the preface of the budget speech presented by then Finance Minister T M Thomas Isaac. On Tuesday, four years down the line, the poem by Sneha Kannan became the reason for a major development: the inauguration of the new school building of Government High School, Kuzhalmannam, proving yet again how sincere, heartfelt words can bring about real change. The young poet had written the poem thinking it might appear in a children's magazine. To her surprise, it was chosen for the budget speech. After presenting the budget, Isaac contacted Sneha. And during their conversation, she made a request: a facelift for her school, then functioning in a run-down rented building at the time. The response was swift. The government first allocated Rs 3 crore, then another Rs 4 crore to construct new building blocks for the school. Four years later, that vision took shape in concrete and steel. On Tuesday, at Vellappara, the new building of the school was inaugurated by Speaker A N Shamseer in the presence of Sneha. At the ceremony, her poem echoed through the new school campus once again, this time as the welcome song. 'I'm overwhelmed that my poem helped my school get a new building. I never imagined my words would go this far. I am thankful to my teachers and the government for acting swiftly,' said Sneha, currently awaiting her Plus Two examination results. She is the younger daughter of Kannan, a driver, and Rumadevi. The high school section functioned in a building at the Kuzhalmannam block panchayat office complex, while the UP section operated in a rented structure at Kulavanmukku. Both sections will be shifted to the new building before the start of the new academic year.
