Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said here on Wednesday that no decision had been taken at his Tuesday meeting with Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Ramesh Chennithala on his induction into the Cabinet.
Refuting reports in a section of the media that Mr. Chennithala would be made Deputy Chief Minister, Mr. Chandy said the decision was only to communicate the details of the deliberations to the Congress high command. He has no powers to take a decision on having a Deputy Chief Minister. The decision rests with the Congress high command. An understanding in the ruling front is also necessary for the creation of such a post.
Talking to the media after a meeting of the Cabinet, the Chief Minister expressed confidence that the issues over the proposed entry of Mr. Chennithala into the Cabinet could be resolved soon in consultation with the Congress high command and United Democratic Front leaders.
Mr. Chandy criticised the portrayal of businessman M.A. Yusuff Ali as an encroacher. All decisions regarding the LuLu Mall in Kochi was taken during the time of the previous Left Democratic Front government.
The then Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan had clarified that the decisions were taken following all the required proceedings and there was nothing irregular about the construction of the mall.
He said the Cabinet had discussed relaxation of the minimum marks requirement for engineering admission though it was not a matter to be decided by the Cabinet.
The consensus reached was that the minimum marks of 50 per cent could be reduced to 45 per cent for mathematics provided a student had 60 per cent marks in science subjects.
