Government will have to decide on Cheemeni

KOCHI: Union Minister of State for Energy K C Venugopal said the state government has to take decision on the Cheemeni Project.The Minister was talking to reporters on the sidelines of advocates’enrolment function here on Sunday.“Personally I am of the view that project should not be harmful for environment. The stand that no project should come to Kerala, will have an adverse impact, the Minister said. Earlier delivering the keynote address at the enrolment ceremony, Venugopal said there had been a degradation of moral value among advocates.“Five advocates appeared for the accused in the sensational Soumya murder case. This is an example for degradation. “Though our legal system allows this, advocates appearing for such a person cannot be justified,” he said.He said the state should stop bringing advocates from outside.”We have a lot of talented advocates in Kerala itself,” he said.He said that there were 31 million cases pending in courts in India. The Minister said that out-of-the-court settlements should be encouraged. “If necessary advocates should be given the power to settle cases,” he saidBar council of Kerala chairman C Sreedharan Nair presided over the function. Enrolment committee chairman K N Anil Kumar spoke.