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Time of India
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Nationwide strike: Left-ruled Kerala govt declares dies non
T'puram: The state govt on Tuesday issued orders ahead of the nationwide strike called by certain sections of employees and labourers, including CITU and INTUC, on Wednesday, declaring that unauthorised absence by govt employees and teachers participating in the strike will be treated as dies non — a loss of pay and service benefits for the day. According to the govt order issued by the general administration department, the day of the strike will be considered as unauthorised leave under Rule 14A of Part I of the Kerala Service Rules (KSR). Consequently, pay for July 9 will be deducted from the salary for the month of Aug 2025. No type of leave will be permitted for the strike day, except under exceptional circumstances like sickness (of self or close family members), examination duties, maternity or other unavoidable emergencies. The order, signed by chief secretary A Jayathilak, also warned that provisional recruits who absent themselves without prior sanction will be summarily removed from service. The govt has also made it clear that any employee involved in acts of violence or damage to public property will face prosecution. Heads of departments have been instructed to ensure compliance with Rule 86 of the Kerala Govt Servants' Conduct Rules, 1960, and relevant circulars, failing which disciplinary action will be taken. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is it better to shower in the morning or at night? Here's what a microbiologist says CNA Read More Undo To ensure smooth functioning of govt offices on the strike day, the managing director of KSRTC and district collectors have been directed to operate adequate transport services for employees. Additionally, the order calls on district collectors, department heads and district police chiefs to provide protection to employees who do not participate in the strike, ensure unimpeded access to govt institutions and prevent crowding at office gates. The move is aimed at maintaining administrative continuity and ensuring that essential services remain unaffected despite the strike call.
Hindustan Times
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
No case to be filed against MSC immediately: Kerala over sinking of ship on May 25
The Kerala government does not intend to file a criminal case immediately against Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), the operator of the ELSA 3 cargo vessel which sank off the coast of the state on May 25, citing the firm's 'patronisation' of the Vizhinjam International Seaport and the need to collect evidence for damages to file compensation claims, a note prepared by Chief Secretary A Jayathilak on May 29 said. The delay in filing the case has been criticised by the opposition, which rejected the government's arguments. The note, seen by HT, was prepared the same day Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan met top officials of the Directorate General of Shipping and four days after the Liberia-flagged cargo vessel loaded with over 640 containers capsized in the Arabian Sea around 14.5 nautical miles from the coast of the state. While the state government has ordered the formation of at least three different committees to deal with various aspects, including assessing environmental damage such as oil spill and filing appropriate compensation claims, environmentalists and experts have flagged the need to initiate criminal proceedings against the shipping company as part of preliminary action. In the backdrop of the ship's sinking, over 50 containers, mostly empty, drifted to the state's coast and large amounts of plastic pellets, also known as nurdles, from the cargo washed up on the state's coast. The note by the chief secretary stated, 'The general consensus was that a criminal case need not be filed immediately and that the entire focus at this time should be on collecting evidence of damages so that evidence based claims can be raised.' It also added that MSC is a 'reputed company which patronises the Vizhinjam International Seaport and the company requires the goodwill of Kerala for their operations here.' The note said it was also in the company's interest to cooperate with the state and settle the claims through the insurance agency. 'Considering all these aspects, our claim should be raised based on strong evidence and without any compromise,' it said. The Vizhinjam International Seaport, dedicated to the nation in May by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is a public-private-partnership project in which the first phase has been completed at a cost of ₹8867 crore. The State government has shelled out ₹5595.34 crore for the project with Adani Group spending ₹2454 crore. The Union government has granted viability gap funding in the form of ₹817 crore and ₹795 crore as an interest-free loan to be repaid over 50 years. So far, no criminal case has been filed against MSC or other officials associated with the sunken vessel. While the chief secretary was unavailable for comment on Monday, Kerala minister for ports VN Vasavan claimed the responsibility over registering criminal cases and initiating rescue operations with regard to such accidents in the deep sea rested with the union ministry of shipping. 'The state government does not have the jurisdiction to register a case or exercise control when it comes to accidents in the deep sea. It is the union ministry of shipping which registers cases in that regard. The incident of MSC ELSA 3 took place around 48 nautical miles away from Kochi. All matters regarding registration of case and rescue operations come under the union ministry of shipping. When there are incidents close to the coast of environmental damage or problems for fisherfolk, the state can intervene and file compensation claims for damages,' Vasavan told reporters. Senior Congress leader KC Venugopal criticised the State for failing to take action against the shipping firm. 'In 2010, a similar accident took place off the coast of Maharashtra. The next day, the state government there registered a case and imposed a steep fine on the firm and shared the compensation proceeds with those who were affected. Here in Kerala, over two weeks have passed and the State has still not registered a case. The fisherfolk have not been able to go to sea for many days, and there are severe environmental damages,' said Venugopal. 'The State's claims are untrue. As per a gazette published in 2016, the State government can register cases for accidents that take place within 200 nautical miles. Here, the chief secretary has recorded that the shipping firm is extremely important for Vizhinjam port and therefore no case need to be registered. When thousands of fisherfolk have been affected due to this incident, how casually and criminally is the State behaving?' he asked. Environmental observer Sridhar Radhakrishnan opined that the State has 'given up' on its people, its ecosystem, and its fishing communities through such a stand. 'It's clear that the State at this point, despite being led by a Left, progressive government, is not prioritising the public good. Obviously, liabilities have to be fixed and compensation paid feels like even if the accident hurts our beaches, our environment, our tourism, our fishermen community and the tonnes of fish that we as the state's people will consume, it must somehow not affect the Adani port. It looks like the CM and his team are bent on it. For 10 years, this government sat without making proper pollution control protocols (when such an incident happens). We still don't have a protocol,' he told HT. He claimed the State government failed to carry out a proper clean-up when tonnes of plastic nurdles washed up on the coast. 'On the first day itself, the clean-ups failed to take off. The volunteers demanded to be paid. When they were pulled into the task, they should have been paid so that it can be documented and proper compensation claim be filed before the shipping firm,' he said.
Time of India
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
MSC ELSA 3 mishap: No criminal case now, focus on supporting insurance claims
T'puram: A letter issued by chief secretary A Jayathilak to disaster management secretary Tinku Biswal said that no criminal case be filed at this stage in connection with the sinking of MSC ELSA 3 off Thottappilly coast. The current focus should remain on collecting evidence of damages to support insurance claims, said the letter issued on May 29, following a high-level meeting chaired by the chief minister and attended by the director general of shipping, Govt of India. The chief secretary's note explicitly mentions MSC's "reputed" status and its need for "goodwill" with Kerala. It added that the company should be allowed to cooperate and settle claims through its insurance agency without the pressure of criminal proceedings. This observation has led to questions regarding administrative jurisdiction as the decision to register a criminal case falls under the authority of the jurisdictional station house officer (SHO) based on the information received, and not within the purview of the chief secretary or other administrative officers. The note added that MSC is a reputed operator and a regular patron of the Vizhinjam International Seaport. The govt expects the company to cooperate in the compensation process. It has been advised that Kerala's claims be based on strong evidence and submitted without compromise. The letter also outlines the course of action agreed upon for managing the aftermath of the incident and coordinating compensation efforts. Meanwhile, fishing within 20 nautical miles of the sunken cargo vessel will remain suspended until July 3 as per directives issued by the state govt. The oil trapped inside the hull of the ship is scheduled to be extracted by that date. The removal of the shipwreck and containers near the site will be taken up only after the monsoon. As per the communication, 20 containers that reached the Kerala coast were already handed over to Customs. The remaining containers are in the process of being towed to Kollam for similar handover. The director general of shipping deputed Captain Anish Joseph, deputy nautical advisor to the Govt of India, to assist the state in preparing and filing compensation claims. Captain Joseph previously supported other state govts in similar processes and will act as the nodal officer in coordination with the Protection and Indemnity (P & I) insurance agency, which has set up a damage liability desk in Kochi. The chief secretary recommended that a meeting be convened in Thiruvananthapuram within the week with nodal officers from all stakeholder departments along with Captain Joseph to ensure the filing of accurate and timely claims.
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Business Standard
30-05-2025
- Climate
- Business Standard
TN on alert for toxic debris after Liberia-registered ship sinks off Kerala
The Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority is monitoring the possibility of hazardous materials, spilt from the Liberia-flagged container vessel MSC ELSA 3, washing ashore the state's coast. As of now, no hazardous materials have been found on Tamil Nadu's coastline, the officials said. The ship was involved in an accident off the Kerala coast on May 24, during the onset of the southwest monsoon, resulting in the spillage of fuel, plastic particles, and hazardous cargo containers into the sea. Due to the intensifying southwest monsoon, plastic debris, containers, and other materials have been drifting and washing ashore along the coasts of Kerala and the southern coastal regions of Kanyakumari district. The ship's sinking has left a trail of debris along the Kerala coastline. Several containers from the vessel have washed ashore in various locations, including the Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram districts. Efforts are being made to remove them. The vessel, carrying 24 crew members, had reported technical issues and was tilting soon after departing from Vizhinjam port. The Indian Navy and Coast Guard responded promptly to the distress call, deploying ships INS Satpura and INS Sujatha to the scene. Despite adverse weather conditions, including wind speeds of up to 40 knots and debris in the water, the Coast Guard successfully rescued all 24 crew members. The crew member attributed the incident to a technical problem with some systems, rather than a collision. They mentioned that the situation worsened due to adverse weather conditions and the age of the vessel. Earlier, a meeting was held under the leadership of Chief Secretary A Jayathilak with officials and district collectors in the background of the sinking of the Liberian container ship MSC ELSA 3 off the Kochi coast. The ship completely sank 14.6 nautical miles from the Thottapalli spillway. About 100 containers may have fallen into the sea. The ship's fuel oil has also leaked. However, all the crew members of the ship have been rescued.
India Gazette
30-05-2025
- General
- India Gazette
TN authorities alert for toxic debris washing ashore after Liberia-registered ship sinks off Kerala coast
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], May 30 (ANI): The Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority is monitoring the possibility of hazardous materials, spilt from the Liberia-flagged container vessel MSC ELSA 3, washing ashore the state's coast. As of now, no hazardous materials have been found on Tamil Nadu's coastline, the officials said. The ship was involved in an accident off the Kerala coast on May 24, during the onset of the southwest monsoon, resulting in the spillage of fuel, plastic particles, and hazardous cargo containers into the sea. Due to the intensifying southwest monsoon, plastic debris, containers, and other materials have been drifting and washing ashore along the coasts of Kerala and the southern coastal regions of Kanyakumari district. The ship's sinking has left a trail of debris along the Kerala coastline. Several containers from the vessel have washed ashore in various locations, including the Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram districts. Efforts are being made to remove them. The vessel, carrying 24 crew members, had reported technical issues and was tilting soon after departing from Vizhinjam port. The Indian Navy and Coast Guard responded promptly to the distress call, deploying ships INS Satpura and INS Sujatha to the scene. Despite adverse weather conditions, including wind speeds of up to 40 knots and debris in the water, the Coast Guard successfully rescued all 24 crew members. The crew member attributed the incident to a technical problem with some systems, rather than a collision. They mentioned that the situation worsened due to adverse weather conditions and the age of the vessel. Earlier, a meeting was held under the leadership of Chief Secretary A Jayathilak with officials and district collectors in the background of the sinking of the Liberian container ship MSC ELSA 3 off the Kochi coast. The ship completely sank 14.6 nautical miles from the Thottapalli spillway. About 100 containers may have fallen into the sea. The ship's fuel oil has also leaked. However, all the crew members of the ship have been rescued. (ANI)
