Thiruvananthapuram | Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Monday chaired the first meeting of the state Cabinet after he and 20 ministers were sworn in here.
After the swearing-in ceremony, Satheesan and the other ministers proceeded to Lok Bhavan for a tea gathering hosted by Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar.
Following the gathering, the ministers reached the State Secretariat.
Satheesan went to his chamber, assumed office, and then proceeded to the hall where Cabinet meetings are held.
Kerala Chief Secretary A Jayathilak was also present at the meeting.
Satheesan signed several documents and handed over copies to the ministers.
He is expected to brief the media later about the Cabinet meeting and the decisions taken.
The UDF government came to power after securing 102 out of 140 seats in the Assembly elections.
Thiruvananthapuram | , May 18 (PTI) Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Monday visited Archbishop Thomas J Netto amid reports that the Latin Catholic community was unhappy over lack of representation in the Cabinet and concerns regarding the fisheries portfolio.
Satheesan is yet to announce who will be the fisheries minister.
The CM reached the Bishop’s House in the evening here, where he was received by Netto.
He later held discussions with the Archbishop and other church leaders for around half-an-hour before leaving the venue.
Father Eugine H Pereira, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Trivandrum, told reporters that the chief minister had assured them that the concerns regarding fisheries and coastal issues in the state would be addressed.
The Latin Catholic community is largely settled along the coastal belt, with a sizeable number engaged in fishing activities.
"Issues of the coastal belt are not given enough attention. There are several accidents during the rainy season. Following Cyclone Ockhi, a marine ambulance was built using donations received, but it was not used for rescue operations at sea for two months," Pereira said.
He alleged that such negligence had continued over the years.
Pereira said people from the community, settled from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod, were facing several issues, including the Munambam waqf land dispute and coastal erosion in Vizhinjam.
"After the Vizhinjam port was commissioned, there has been a change in sea conditions, including tides. But such issues are not being examined," he said.
"We had wished that a person who understands our issues be included in the Cabinet. We had also conveyed this to the concerned authorities," he added.
Pereira said the chief minister assured during the meeting that he would actively engage with issues affecting coastal communities and fishers. "We are hopeful," he said.
He added that for the Latin Catholic community, the fisheries department and its minister are of particular importance.
"The fisheries minister should be someone who understands the hardship and concerns of the fishing community," he said.
He said the chief minister should address the issues faced by fishers and work to resolve them. There were reports that the Latin Catholic Church had sought the inclusion of MLA M Vincent in the Cabinet, but its representatives did not attend the swearing-in ceremony because their demands were not met.