Thiruvananthapuram:  Health Minister Veena George has said that the food safety department has started special inspections focusing on juice shops due to the increase in heat in the state. Inspections are conducted under the leadership of Assistant Commissioners of Food Safety in the districts. Apart from this, the State Task Force will also conduct inspections. All shops, from small roadside shops, are checked. Other inspections focused on hotels and restaurants will continue. Along with food safety labs, the services of mobile labs will also be made available, the minister said.

Only clean water should be used in shops. The most dangerous is the ice used in the juice. Ice produced from contaminated water can cause many diseases. Therefore, ice should only be made with pure water. Everyone should take extra care as food spoils quickly in hot weather. Food items should be kept closed. The food parcel should be dated and stickered. Do not eat after the specified time.

It’s summer so drink plenty of water even if you don’t feel thirsty to avoid dehydration. Make sure you drink clean water. Be careful to drink boiled water. It is better to carry water while traveling. Those who drink juice from shops and roadsides make sure the ice is made from fresh water.

Thiruvananthapuram: High-temperature warning in Kasaragod and Kannur districts of the state. According to the Central Meteorological Department, the maximum temperature is likely to rise by 3 degrees to 5 degrees Celsius.

The maximum temperature in these districts is likely to rise from 36 degree Celsius to 39 degrees Celsius. The State Disaster Management Authority has also issued precautionary instructions for the public because of the increasing summer heat in the state.

Meanwhile, the working hours of outside workers have been rescheduled till April 30 due to the rising temperature in the state during the day. The decision was made keeping in mind the risk of sunburn.

Working hours are fixed at eight hours from 7 am to 7 pm. The Labor Commissioner informed that the rescheduling will be such that shifts will end at noon and start at 3 pm for shift workers.

Areas not prone to sun damage above 3000 feet above sea level are exempted from the purview of this order.

Thiruvananthapuram: On March 7 (Tuesday), District Collector Jeromick George issued an order declaring a local holiday for all educational institutions, government and government undertaking institutions in Thiruvananthapuram district.  The holiday was announced on the occasion of Attukal Pongala.  The holiday will not be applicable to scheduled public examinations.

 Meanwhile, the first Pongala after the lifting of the covid restrictions is witnessing a huge rush of devotees from the first day.  All the preparations for the arrival of Pongala have been completed.  The Food Safety Department has made online registration mandatory for food supply.

 There will also be active work of the Municipal Health Squad.  Active operation of squads of legal metrology has been ensured in the festival area.  There is 24 hour medical team service and ambulance facility.  Fire and rescue control rooms are also functioning in the festival area.  More than 2,000 policemen have been deployed to ensure security.

Thiruvananthapuram: Steps will be taken to allow more vigilance courts for speedy disposal of vigilance cases. The decision was taken in a meeting of the stakeholders chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to evaluate the vigilance activities.

 As part of the investigation of Vigilance cases, immediate action will be taken to allow only the Cyber ​​Forensic Document Division Vigilance to examine the samples available at the Head Office and Regional Offices of the State’s Forensic Lab and submit reports.

 Internal Vigilance Officers should submit their performance review reports to the Director of Vigilance every three months. Once in 3 months their review meeting will be held at the Vigilance Directorate. Internal vigilance officers of various departments will also be trained.

 Before appointing officers in the internal vigilance cell, an intelligence inquiry will be conducted and a report will be obtained. Time limits will be set for cases and investigations. If more time is required, permission of the Director should be obtained.

 A timely appeal must be filed in cases acquitted by the court. Make sure that the appeal is filed within two months. A Liaison Officer will be appointed to look after vigilance matters in the High Court.

 Before appointing officers of the police department in vigilance, an examination will be conducted and a list of eligible candidates will be prepared. They will be trained in vigilance work. A data base of such officers will be prepared and from that will be appointed in vigilance. Appointed officers will be allowed to stay for a minimum of three years.

Thiruvananthapuram: Indian Railways to start special services in connection with Attukal Pongala. The Railways has announced that additional services will be run to Ernakulam and Nagercoil on Pongala day on March 7. 10 trains have been allotted additional stops at various places. In addition to additional trains, three-passenger trains will be equipped with more second-class coaches to manage congestion. Indian Railways also announced that Nagercoil Kottayam Passenger and Kochuveli Nagercoil Passenger trains will stop at Thiruvananthapuram for more time. 

There will be a special train from Ernakulam to Thiruvananthapuram at 1.45 AM on Pongala day. After the end of Pongala, trains will be available from Thiruvananthapuram to Ernakulam at 3.30 PM and from Thiruvananthapuram to Nagercoil at 2.45 PM.

Thiruvananthapuram: No special tax is levied on foreclosed houses. Minister KN Balagopal told the Assembly that special tax on closed houses is only a proposal and will not be implemented now.

The lack of funds of the local self-governing bodies was discussed. The additional tax on closed houses was a part of the proposal to increase the income of the local self-governing bodies. The Minister of Finance stated that this proposal is being discussed by the Local Self-Government Department.

Expatriate organizations have also demanded that the budget proposal to impose additional tax on closed houses in the name of one person should be avoided. Expatriate organizations including Fokana raised the need to avoid such additional taxes in the context of recovery from the Covid crisis. The decision of the state government is also based on this.

Kochi:  FIR that the manufacture of firecrackers in Varapuzha was illegal. The police registered a case of culpable homicide against the operators of the explosion in the fireworks factory. Police, bomb squad, and explosives experts inspected the spot. The body of Davis, who died in the accident, was released to his relatives today. The hospital officials informed that the health status of the injured is satisfactory. Meanwhile, opposition leader VD Satheesan, who visited the blast site, said that he would meet the Chief Minister tomorrow and request help.

The finding in the FIR is that the firecracker factory where the blast took place in Muttinakam, Varapuzha was operating illegally. Explosives were stored in more than the permitted quantity. The FIR also states that the firecrackers were stored without following safety standards. With this, the police registered a case against the brothers who were the perpetrators of criminal homicide. The first accused, Jenson, is absconding. Johnson, the second accused, was injured in the accident and is undergoing treatment. After their father Anson fell ill, the children took over the firecracker factory. Yesterday the district collector also stated that the firecracker factory does not have a license. Houses within a kilometer radius of the blast site were damaged. Opposition leader VD Satheesan, who visited the area, informed that the Public Works Department has assigned the engineering department to estimate the damage.

The remaining unexploded fireworks were collected and defused by the bomb squad. The district collector said that the actual cause of the explosion will be clear only after further investigation.