Thiruvananthapuram: Union minister and former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President of Kerala V Muraleedharan, speaking with regard to University Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2022 to replace Governor Arif Mohammad Khan from the post of chancellor in the universities in Kerala, alleged on Saturday that the state government was holding legislation only for enacting ‘such a bill’.
‘It is against the guidelines of the UGC (University Grants Commission) and the Central Act. I don’t understand why they are wasting money and holding legislation only for enacting such a bill’, Muraleedharan said reacting to the recently passed University Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2022. The Kerala Assembly passed the said bill on December 13. ‘Ultimately, why is the Chancellor being changed? Because the governor is opposing Nepotism! After enacting a law which supports corruption and nepotism, how would they face Governor?’, he questioned.
Kerala Law Minister P Rajeev on December 7 introduced an amendment in the assembly where the chancellor can be decided by a three-member committee which includes the Chief Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and the Speaker. According to the amendment bill introduced in the assembly, ‘the government shall appoint an academician of high repute or a person of eminence in any of the field of science including agriculture and veterinary science, technology, medicine, social science, humanities, literature, art, culture, law or public administration as the chancellor of the university’. Chancellor is appointed for a period of five years and the person appointed as chancellor shall be eligible for reappointment for one or more terms. The chancellor may resign his office by an intimation in writing to the government. The bill has been sent for the consideration of the subject committee.
Further talking about the one-kilometre buffer zone issue, Muraleedharan said that the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Kerala government did not do anything till September despite the Supreme Court’s verdict dated June 3. ‘Supreme Court’s verdict came on June 3 and till September, the Kerala Government did not do anything but now they conducted a satellite survey which showed 49,000 houses and dwellings, whereas the farmers here say that atleast two lakhs such dwellings have been affected’, he said raising questions on why the survey reports remained unpublished even after the three months.
‘After that survey came, it was not published for three months. Why did they keep it on hold? They have the responsibility to submit to the state and state to the Supreme Court. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPIM) only make false claims of being concerned with the farmers in Kerala who claims to be concerned about the farmers, but they are not’, he added. In its June 3 order, the top court had ordered the creation of an eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) within one kilometre around all the wildlife sanctuaries and national parks, which led to a protest in the higher ranges of Kerala.
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