News and Views

Thiruvananthapuram: The BJP is likely to finalise its first list of candidates for the Assembly by the end of this month.

The decisions in this respect will be taken after RSS meeting later this week. The core committee of the party, which met in Ankamali on Sunday, discussed strategies and decided to set up a committee for selection of candidates.

Celebrated Malayalam poet O. N. V. Kurup passed away on Saturday afternoon owing to age-related ailments. He was 84 years old.

A Jnanpith award winner, Mr. Kurup has published more than 20 books of poetry and collections. He also distinguished himself as a lyricist. Besides Jnanpith, Mr. Kurup has won more than two dozen literary awards and honours.

Union Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj has assured advisory committee of her ministry that a Minister of State with independent charge and a full time secretary would be appointed to handle matters connected with overseas Indians when the External Affairs Ministry and the Ministry for Overseas Indian Affairs are merged.

Thiruvananthapuram: The financial position of the State is very satisfactory and the financial management by former Finance Minister K. M. Mani is highly appreciable," said Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in a post-budget interaction with the media here on Friday.

The Budget for 2016-17 is a continuation of the budgets presented by Mr. Mani and there is nothing special about it, he added.

Kerala Budget for the coming year is admission of failure of the government to address the economic crisis looming over the State, CPI (M) leader Thomas Isaac said here on Friday.

Commenting on the Budget, the CPI (M) leader said that till yesterday, Budgets only talked of financial crisis. But, now an economic crisis was at the doors and the government lacked ability to intervene. This was because of failure at resource mobilisation.