Kerala cabinet again seeks Guv's nod to convene special assembly session to discuss agri laws
Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 24: The Kerala cabinet on Thursday again decided to recommend to Governor Arif Mohammed Khan seeking approval for a special Assembly sessionon December 31 to discuss and pass a resolution against the three central farm laws, against which farmers have been protesting near Delhi.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan informed the media about the cabinet decision and said his government was "hopeful" that the Governor would accord sanction for the special session.
This comes days after Governor Khan declined consent for the Left government in the southern state to convene a one-day session on December 23 to discuss the central laws and express solidarity with the agitating farmers.
The Governor's act had triggered sharp criticism from the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and opposition United Democratic Front (UDF).
"I hope the Governor will give approval to convene the special session. According to the Parliamentary system in our country, a Governor usually gives approval for a decision taken by a government having majority," Vijayan told reporters.
Khan's decision on Tuesday had evoked a sharp response from the government side with Agricultural Minister V S Sunil Kumar calling it "undemocratic", while opposition Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said it was unfortunate and against "democratic values".
However, the state BJP had welcomed the governor's action, saying the attempt to pass a resolution against the laws passed by Parliament and given assent by the President was 'unconstitutional.'
The special session decision was taken in the backdrop of thousands of farmers, especially from Punjab and Haryana, camping at various borders of Delhi for almost four weeks demanding the repeal of the three agricultural laws.
The farmers are apprehending that the new laws will pave the way for a dismantling of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) mechanism and the mandi system, leaving them to the "mercy" of big corporates.
But the government has been saying these fears are misplaced and offered to hold fresh talks with them to resolve the crisis.
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India-bound LPG tanker clears Hormuz
New Delhi (PTI): A tanker carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for India has sailed out of the Strait of Hormuz and is now headed towards the country, an official statement said on Sunday.
The Marshall Islands-flagged LPG carrier MT Sarv Shakti, loaded with 46,313 tonnes of LPG and staffed by 20 crew, including 18 Indians, cleared the key shipping chokepoint on May 2 and is expected to reach Visakhapatnam on May 13, it said.
The cargo -- enough to meet half a days requirement of the country -- will partly tide over supply constraints being faced since the start of the West Asia conflict more than two months back.
Ship-tracking data showed its position in Oman Gulf on Sunday evening.
The very large gas carrier has previously made runs between the Persian Gulf and Indian ports, has been chartered by state-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC).
Sarv Shakti is the first India-linked tanker to cross the war zone since a weeks-old US blockade of ships tied to Iran began, pushing transits through Hormuz back down to almost zero.
There are as many as 14 Indian flagged or India-owned vessels still stranded on the west side of the Strait of Hormuz.
The statement said no incident involving Indian-flagged vessels has been reported in the past 24 hours. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is working closely with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian missions and maritime stakeholders to ensure crew welfare and uninterrupted operations.
The Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping) control room has handled 8,373 calls and more than 17,965 emails since activation, including 38 calls and 127 emails in the last 24 hours.
India has also facilitated the repatriation of more than 2,953 seafarers so far, including 31 in the past day from across the Gulf region.
Port operations across the country remain normal with no congestion reported, the statement added.
