The Hindu : Briefly

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 23, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Briefly

16 hurt in accident

KOLLAM March 22.Sixteen persons were injured in a collision between a KSRTC fast passenger bus and a lorry at Kilikollur in the city this morning. All the injured were bus passengers. Eyewitnesses said that the bus rammed into the lorry from behind. The Kilikollur police have registered a case.

Temple ritual

The traditional two-day "chamaya vilakku'' ritual organised in connection with the annual festival of the Chavara Major Kottamkulangara Sri Devi Temple will begin on March 23. The ritual is unique because men disguise as women carrying lamps to appease the presiding deity, Jagadambika.

Surgery camp

The Kollam unit of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad Seva Samithy, in association with the Amrita Institute of Medical Science, is organising a free surgery camp for children and adolescents with facial defects. The camp will be held on April 18 at the Mundakkal Amrithakulam LP School aims to help those from the economically-weaker sections. Those desirous of attending the camp can contact phone numbers 0474-3102030 and 0474-2763853 for details.

Review meeting

KOZHIKODE MARCH 22. A review meeting on switchover to Malayalam as the official language is being held at the Collectorate here tomorrow. The meeting is being attended by the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, M. M. Hassan. Heads of all Government departments have to attend the meeting. Rules, and forms in all departments are being translated into Malayalam under a project which is to be completed before March 31.

`Food for work' scheme

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM MARCH 22. Some 11,000 metric tonnes more of rice has been sanctioned by way of drought relief under the `food for work' scheme of the Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana (Special component) programme. The share of the various districts from it is as follows: Alappuzha, Kannur, Wayanad and Kasaragod - 1000 MT each, Kottayam - 1500 MT, Kozhikode and Malappuram - 1,750 MT each and Palakkad 2,000 MT. The District Collectors have been asked to lift the rice from the FCI godowns and identify work under the food for work scheme for its distribution. The district authorities have been asked to keep in mind the guidelines of the SGRY scheme under which a minimum of 25 per cent of the wages should be paid in cash.

Detecting abkari offences

A State-level Excise Intelligence and Investigation Bureau would soon be set up for detecting abkari offences and the speedy conduct of investigation into them. The Excise Minister, K.V.Thomas, who announced this today said that three regional offices and 14 divisional offices would be established under it. He called for passing on information about abkari offences such as unauthorised sale, movement and storage of liquor, movement of spirit and sale of arrack even directly to him in his office in the Secretariat Annexe at Thiruvananthapuram. The name and other details of the informants would be kept confidential. The Minister said that he had asked the officials to enforce the excise laws strictly. As part of the modernisation of the department, 44 new vehicles and a few boats were being provided to the 14 control rooms attached to the divisional offices and the various other units of the department.

Training programme

A four-day training programme on the Good Manufacturing Practices, which the WHO is insisting on in the manufacture of medicines and vaccines, will get under way in the Veterinary Biologicals at Palode in Thiruvananthapuram district tomorrow. The programme will be led by C.K.Moorthy, expert of the Centre for GMP, Secunderabad. Scientists of the major laboratories and the Veterinary Biological Institute of the Animal Husbandry Department will be attending the programme. The Institute itself is going in for GMP standards. The Centre will provide 70 per cent of the expenditure for implementing the standards at the institute. The Institute is expected to get it during the course of the current financial year.

Loan scheme for traders

The State Bank of Travancore is launching a special loan scheme for traders in association with the Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samthis and the Chambers of Commerce in various districts and towns. Under the scheme credit up to Rs.2 lakhs is proposed to be made available to the traders in a hassle-free and speedy manner and competitive pricing. The loans up to Rs.50,000 are to be repaid in 36 monthly installments. Loans above that can be continued as running cash credit accounts. The interest is 10 per cent per annum.

BSNL employees union plea

The Employees Union of BSNL has urged the Centre to abandon the move to privatise BSNL. The Union made the plea in a statement issued in connection with its founding day today in the context of the Centre's move to allow up to 74 per cent foreign investment after the elections. It added that moves were also understood to be afoot to implement VRS in the company.

Panel of Linux consultants

The C-DIT proposes to prepare a panel of Linux consultants for various projects. More details about it can be had from the Regional Centre of the C-DIT at Kayamkulam.

Secretariat march

The Kerala Dalit Federation and the SC/ST Vidyabhyasa Samraskhana Samithi jointly organised a Secretariat march today to press demands. The demands included restoration of all educational benefits including the fees and stipend of students of the scheduled communities studying in private professional colleges, immediate distribution of lumpsum grant, stipend and mess allowance, which have fallen in arrears, making the admission of students belonging to these communities in professional colleges including those in the private sector more transparent and steps to ensure that they actually get the 10 per cent of the seats reserved for them and exemption of the SC and ST departments from the treasury restrictions.

`Decision on Mayor's post soon'

THRISSUR MARCH 22. The party leadership would take a decision on the issue of the Mayor's post in Thrissur Corporation within two days, the acting president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), P. P. Thankachan, told reporters here on Monday.

Energy conservation

KOZHIKODE MARCH 22. A workshop on `Energy Conservation in Industry' was organised by the Energy Conservation Society here today. The Kozhikode Government Engineering College principal, Prof V. K. Sasikumar, spoke on `Waste treatment in industries'. S.J. Joe, the brain behind the kerosene stove, which is 35 per cent more fuel efficient than the ordinary kerosene stove, was honoured on the occasion.

Lok Janashakti Party support

KOCHI MARCH 22. The Lok Janashakti Party will support P. K. Vasudevan Nair in Thiruvananthapuram, Jose K. Mani in Muvattupuzha and M. P. Veerendrakumar in Kozhikode. The decision was part of the party's strategy against the BJP, said Tharian Joseph, State president of the party, at a press conference here today. The party's national president, Ram Vilas Paswan, national general secretary, Pappu Yadav and the former Union Minister, Ram Jethmalani, would campaign for the three candidates, he said.

`Unemployment a problem in Lakshadweep'

Attakoya Thangal, the Janata Party candidate for the Lakshadweep Lok Sabha seat, has said that unemployment is a serious problem in the islands. Addressing a press conference here today, Mr. Thangal said it was for the first time that the party was fielding a candidate in Lakshadweep.

Mr.Thangal, who had worked in Lakshadweep in various capacities such as Director of Education, Director of Social Welfare and Managing Director of Cooperative Marketing Federation, said the people were finding it difficult to find market for their products such as coir, copra and Tuna fish. Infrastructural facilities were grossly inadequate, he said. Although there was a referral hospital in Lakshadweep, there were not enough people to run the same. Mr. Thangal said the existing law of the islands was that only those who were born in the islands have the Scheduled Tribe status. He alleged that the sitting MP managed to win a case against the rule, but it benefited only his family members. Janata Party was planning to approach the court in this regard, he said. The national working president of the party, Vijay Mallya, would tour the islands in the first week of April.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Kerala