The Hindu Business Line : Kerala against bifurcation of railway division

The Chief Minister termed as `motivated and misleading' reports regarding the State Government's reluctance to convert the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology into a Central institute.

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Thiruvananthapuram Jan. 31 The Kerala Government is opposed to the bifurcation of Palakkad railway division for creating a new division headquartered at Salem in Tamil Nadu.

The State Cabinet, which met here on Wednesday, decided to write to the Prime Minister and the Union Railway Minister asking them to drop the move.

The Chief Minister, Mr V.S. Achuthanandan, told newspersons after the Cabinet meeting that the original idea was to create the new division by carving out portions from four other divisions. But under the present plan, the Palakkad division would have to give away a major chunk of its areas to the new division. This was not acceptable to the State Government.

RGCB ROW

The Chief Minister termed as `motivated and misleading' reports regarding the Government's reluctance to convert the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), which is under the control of the State, into a Central institute.

He said that negotiations were progressing in this respect and discussions had already been held with the Union Minister for Science and Technology, Mr Kapil Sibal. The State Government had taken the position that due representation should be given to it in the governing body of RGCB, he added.

The Cabinet cleared an ordinance to recast the Travancore and Kochi devaswom boards, which, among other things, provides for reducing the tenure of the board to two years from the existing four years.

The Chief Minister said the ordinance would be forwarded to the Governor for approval.

SANDALWOOD SCAM

The Cabinet also decided to recommend a CBI probe into the case relating to seizure of 160 kg of sandalwood from a private factory at Palakkad in 2004.

The then Forest Minister, Mr K.P. Viswanathan, had to resign from the UDF Government in the wake of adverse observations by the High Court while granting bail to the accused in the case.