Missing Indian School Muscat Student traced in Salalah January 30, 2002
Gulf Malayali Missing from Nedumbassery Airport KM Correspondent Kochi : The Nedumbassery airport police have launched a marathon search for the 35-year-old Gulf Malayali -- Sankarankutty, hailing from Chemmanad in Ernakulam district-- who has been reported missing after arriving at the Kochi International Airport from Abu Dhabi January 9, 2002. Police is investigating various angles to the disappearance, especially a possible kidnapping.
The search has been launched on the basis of a complaint filed by the parents of Sankarankutty. According to his relatives, the Gulf Malayali did not inform his relatives about his impending arrival. The family came to know about his trip to Kochi only when a colleague called up from Abu Dhabi inquiring whether he had delivered a few gifts he had sent for his relatives through Shankarankutty. The relatives contacted the Nedumbassery Airport and were able to gather that Sankarankutty had indeed landed at the airport.
According to his family members, Sankarankutty used to land in Mumbai where his wife and children are located. This time however he chose to land at the Kochi airport. According to relatives, Shankarankutty was given a sent off at Abu Dhabi by his brother-in-law. Father Sreedharan Nair, his father who lodged the complaint said that his son has been missing since January 9. The Kerala Police are investigating the possibilities of kidnapping. Indian Embassy in the UAE is being contacted for getting necessary help in pursuing the case.
A few months back, two Indian housemaids who travelled from Nedumbassery airport to Muscat were kidnapped by a gang. Kidnapping ladies who travel alone is reported from Gulf airports. A number of measures are introduced to provide protection to Gulf Malayali passengers who travel alone at odd hours. But the apparent kidnapping of Shankarankutty shows that security system in Nedumbassery airport needs to be enhanced..(keralamonitor.com)
Antony Government announces Rs 240 billion outlay for the 10th plan
KM Correspondent
Thiruvanathapuram January 30: The Kerala cabinet today fixed the 10th plan outlay at Rs 240 billion and the annual plan outlay for the next year at Rs 37.5 billion. Chief Minister AK Antony told journalists after a cabinet meeting that the government would concentrate on resource mobilization in the coming years and hoped to expedite the remaining part of the plan for the current fiscal.
As part of the ongoing austerity measures, the cabinet decided to do away with all ex-cadre pasts at the senior level in a phased manner. This will reduce administrative expenses which doubled during the past five years.
The posts in the Chief Secretary rank will be reduced to two from four and twelve posts will be abolished in the secretary, special secretary and principal secretary ranks. The number of Directors General of Police (DGPs) would also come down to two from the present four. Four posts in the rank of Additional DGPs, three posts of Chief Conservator of Forest, four posts each of Chief Engineer (irrigation), Chief Engineer (water authority) Chief Engineer (PWD) and nine posts of Chief Engineers in KSEB would be abolished, Antony said.
There would not be any retrenchment, as the downsizing would be completed in a phased manner over two years. The extra posts will be abolished once the officer retires. No officer from the Central Service or the All India Service will be absorbed by the state on deputation from now onwards.
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The cabinet is again meeting on Thursday to draw-up further austerity measures and Rs two-billion bailout packages for the farming and traditional sectors.
The government had recently decided to re-deploy over 60,000 employees, who are without work, and to end salary protection to them indefinitely. It also had withdrawn the facilities for leave surrender and housing and motor vehicle advances besides indirectly introducing contract terms for entry-level recruits and announcing packages of incentives for the unnecessary staff to go on long leave.By initiating the austerity measures, the Government hopes to recover the deep economic crisis it has plunged into by mid-2003 and improve the position by November the same year. Antony expects a turnaround by December this year.
An IAS officer who goes to the Center on deputation will lose anywhere between Rs. 200,000 and Rs 400,000, depending on the seniority. IAS officers going on deputation were allowed to surrender the entire deputation period for leave encashment. Such encashment is not allowed anymore. Under the new measures, 30 IAS postings have been considered surplus, which means that for another two years fresh IAS officers would not be drawn in. Kerala which has 550,000 employees and teachers on government payroll spends about 85 paise from every one rupee collected for salaries, pensions and interest payments. Trade unions of all political parties, senior Congress leader K.Karunakaran and other prominent politicians have urged the state government not to go ahead with anti-employee policy. Trade unions have said that they would go on indefinite strike against the Government austerity measures.(keralamonitor.com)