Thiruvananthapuram: The Central Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert in four districts of the state on Tuesday due to the possibility of heavy rains. Orange alert has been declared in Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Ernakulam and Idukki districts.

A yellow alert has also been issued in Alappuzha, Thrissur, Kozhikode and Kannur districts due to the possibility of heavy rain. It is estimated that the rain will continue for the next two days. There is also a warning that people should not go fishing in Kerala Lakshadweep Karnataka coasts.

The Human Rights Commission has filed a suo moto against the Kerala Grameen Bank for collecting loan repayments from the Rs 10,000 emergency financial assistance granted by the government to the Mundakai and Churalmala landslide victims.

The judicial member of the commission, K Baijunath, asked that the district collector and Kerala Grameen Bank Churalmala branch manager should look into the matter and submit a detailed report within a week. The case will be heard in the next sitting at Sultan Bathery.

The complaint is that monthly repayments were collected from the borrowers from the Churalmala branch of the bank. 10 people living in relief camps have come forward against the bank. The loan was recovered after the government financial assistance reached the bank. The case was registered by the Human Rights Commission based on the newspaper report.

Palakkad: Minister K. Krishnankutty informed that there will be no unannounced power cut in the state. There will be some restrictions depending on availability of central allocation. The minister clarified that there is no power crisis at present and there is no need to worry. KSEB had informed yesterday that power regulation would be necessary due to the increase in power demand in the state and lack of availability of power in the power exchange market.

The Electricity Board had also requested that the electricity usage should be minimized during the peak time from 7 pm to 11 pm. During the Left Front government, there was a lot of criticism for breaking the promise of no power cut. In this situation, the Minister’s explanation is that there is a need for discussion on the establishment of a nuclear power plant. The minister said that no one has said that a nuclear power plant will be set up in Kerala and the matter is a policy decision.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan wants banks to be ready to write off the loans of Wayanad disaster victims. The Chief Minister was speaking at the meeting of the State Level Bankers’ Committee convened to discuss the relief work in the wake of the Wayanad disaster.

An unparalleled tragedy happened in Wayanad. Most of the disaster victims are agricultural workers. At the same time, the agricultural land was washed away in the disaster, and the nature of the land itself changed. Most of them have taken loans for various purposes like education, housing and agriculture. Don’t lose sight of the fact that there are individuals who have lost entire family members. As far as banks are concerned, only a small fraction of their total financial transactions will be reduced as part of this intervention. Instead of relying on the government’s approach to write off loans at regular intervals, banks should stand by their own means of relief aid.

In the first phase, ten thousand rupees were given through banks. Deducting the EMI of the Grameen Bank loan at Chooralmala from the relief money given to the affected is not correct. Banks should not adopt a mechanistic approach at such stages. The Chief Minister suggested that steps should be taken to waive off the loan in case the top officials of institutions like Reserve Bank and NABARD are participating in the meeting and other banks should follow the example of Kerala Bank. In the meeting, the Chief Minister also pointed out that the country and the world are standing with the state government in rehabilitating the disaster victims in an exemplary manner. Chief Secretary Dr. V. Venu, Additional Chief Secretary Sharada Muralidharan and representatives of various banks attended the meeting.

Actor Mohanlal, who was admitted to the hospital due to high fever, has been discharged. Yesterday, Mohanlal was admitted to a private hospital in Kochi due to high fever and difficulty in breathing.

It is reported that Mohanlal is less sick and has returned to work after taking rest. Mohanlal was admitted to the hospital on August 16 after suffering from high fever and difficulty in breathing.

Summary: The Kerala government has made a significant change to auto-rickshaw permit rules. Auto-rickshaws can now operate anywhere in the state. While this decision is a relief for auto-workers, concerns about road safety have also arisen.

Explanation:

• Previous Rule: Earlier, auto-rickshaws were only allowed to operate within a 20-kilometer radius of their respective districts. This rule was in place due to concerns about the dangers of long-distance travel in auto-rickshaws.
• New Rule: This restriction has now been lifted. Auto-rickshaws can now operate anywhere in Kerala.
• CITU’s Role: The CITU, a trade union representing auto-rickshaw workers, had been demanding this relaxation for a long time.
• Concerns:
  • Safety Risks: Auto-rickshaws are not designed for long-distance travel. The absence of safety features like seat belts increases the risk of accidents.
  • High-Speed Roads: With the emergence of high-speed highways in the state, it is dangerous for auto-rickshaws to operate on these roads.
• Government Officials’ Concerns: Motor Vehicle Department officials had opposed this decision and had repeatedly warned about the safety risks.
• Social Media Reactions:
  • Auto-rickshaw workers have welcomed this decision.
  • Others have expressed concerns about road safety.
  • The impact of this decision on traffic conditions remains to be seen.
• Your Opinion: What do you think about this decision? How can we balance the rights of auto-rickshaw workers with road safety?

 Dates for Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana assembly elections have been announced.  Elections are being held in Kashmir after 10 years.  The election will be held in three phases.  The first phase of the election will be held on September 18.  The second phase will be held on September 25 and the final phase on October 1.  Counting of votes will be held on October 4.  Meanwhile, by-election dates were not announced.

 Driving school vehicles will henceforth have yellow front and rear.  The order is to give yellow color to the front and rear of the vehicles.

 Applicable to vehicles other than two-wheelers.  The order was issued by the State Transport Authority.  The order will come into effect from October 1.  Meanwhile, the order of tourist bus color white will continue.

 In the wake of the Wayanad disaster, the Andhra Pradesh government has transferred Rs 10 crore to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.  Immediately after the disaster, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu offered help to Kerala.

 The money was handed over to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to rehabilitate those who lost their homes and property in the calamity.