The Hindu : Kerala News : Briefly

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 13, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Briefly

Assistance for AIDS patients

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM AUG. 12. The Minister for Welfare of Scheduled and Backward Communities, M.A. Kuttappan, said here on Thursday that the Government was taking steps to supply anti-retroviral medicines, free of charge, to AIDS patients. Inaugurating the celebrations held in connection with International Youth Day, jointly organised by the State Youth Welfare Board and Nehru Yuva Kendra, the Minister said that the medicines, which cost Rs. 4.2 crores a year, would be administered free of charge for life-long treatment.

Support for Express Highway

The Trivandrum Agenda Task Force (TATF), a forum of investors, has come out in support of the proposed Express Highway, calling it a corridor around which a new generation of the service industry could come up. In a statement issued here today, V.K. Mathews, chairman of TATF, said that the Express Highway would enable villages in Kerala to participate in the development process. The Express Highway would give easy access to the farm sector to transport agriculture produce to any part of the State for trading or processing, he said.

Director General of NCC

Lt.Gen M.C.Bhandari has taken over as the new Director-General of the NCC. He took over from Lt. Gen B.K.Boppanna who retired last month, an official release said.

Workers' rallies on August 20

The Trade Union Sponsoring Committee, comprising major Central trade unions except INTUC and BMS, has decided to hold workers' rallies at mandalam and taluk levels on August 20 to press for withdrawal of the decisions to slash the Provident Fund interest rate, hike FDI in telecom, insurance and civil aviation sectors and privatise Central public sector units.

Central Excise officers' meet

Central Excise officers have decided to prepare themselves to handle the new tax collection process involving electronic filing, and introduction of value added tax system. The decision to this effect was taken by the All-India Federation of Central Excise Gazetted Executive Officers, Kerala unit, at its annual meeting held recently.

Entrance test on August 31

KOCHI AUG. 12. The Kerala Self-financing Engineering College Managements' Association has decided to conduct entrance tests for admission to the management quota seats in 19 self-financing colleges in the State. Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, the association president, G.P.C. Nair, said that the entrance tests would be conducted by a consortium of the self-financing managements. He said that the tests were being conducted in accordance with the provisions in the recently adopted Kerala Self-Financing Professional Colleges Act 2004. Admission to about 30 colleges where the admission procedure has already been started would be on the basis of the entrance test conducted by the Controller of Entrance Examinations. The tests would be conducted at various centres on August 31.

Sitting by Aryadan committee

The Aryadan Mohammed committee appointed by the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) to study the recommendations of the Justice Narendran Commission today held a sitting in Kochi. The committee received representations from 15 organisations including Christian Service Society, Muslim Education Society and Muslim Employees Cultural Association. The committee members, the Fisheries Minister, K.V. Thomas, and Adoor Prakash, MLA, took part in the deliberations.The committee will hold its next sitting in Kozhikode on August 16.

Industrial Safety Council

A local Industrial Safety Council, with tahsildars as conveners to monitor safety operations in the district, would be set up soon. The decision was taken at a district-level safety council meeting held at the Collectorate. The District Collector, A.P.M. Mohammed Hanish, presided over the meeting.

Man sentenced to death

Manjeri Aug. 12. A fast track court here has awarded capital punishment to a 32-year-old man for murdering his wife. The Manjeri Additional District Sessions Judge (fast track court-I), K.P. Sujatha, yesterday sentenced Parappuravan Basheer to death for killing his 23-year-old wife, Naseera, on April 11 last year. The court said that the convict, who was in the habit of harassing his wife, did not deserve any leniency or lowering of punishment for committing such a heinous crime.

The court, however, allowed one-month time for the convict to appeal. - UNI

JMMC offers scholarships to poor students

THRISSUR AUG. 12. The economically poor students who have gained admission in merit quota in the Jubilee Mission Medical College (JMMC) here will be given a scholarship of Rs.25,000 each. This was disclosed here today by the Archbishop, Mar Jacob Thumkuzhy, who is also the chairman of the Trust that governs the JMMC. Speaking at a Trust meeting, he appealed to all concerned not to create mental agonies to the poor students in the merit as well as in the self-financing categories. The Auxiliary Bishop, Mar Andrews Thazhath, the Vicar General, Monsignor George Manadan, the JMMC Director, Father Francis Alappatt, and the Principal, V.K. Ramankutty, also were present at the meeting.

Seminar on medicine

A panel discussion on current issues of medical ethics will be the highlight of the seminar on `recent advances in forensic medicine' to be held at the Amala Institute of Medical Sciences near here on Saturday. Medical experts from different medical colleges in the State, district police surgeons and post graduate students will participate in the programme.

I-Day parade

KOTTAYAM Aug. 12. C.F. Thomas, Minister for Rural Development, would take the salute at the Independence Day parade here on Sunday. The celebrations being organised by the district authorities would commence at 8-30 a.m. and would feature contingents from the Armed Reserved Police, NCC, the Scouts and Guides, school bands and cultural events.

Army recruitment camp

KOLLAM Aug. 12. The Army will hold a camp to recruit jawans from among NCC cadets, present and former, registered with the NCC Kollam Group.

The test will be held at the Lal Bahadur Stadium here at 10 a.m. on September 4.

Cadets who wish to appear for the test may register their names at the nearest NCC office by August 15.

Award for Murali

The former KPCC president, K. Muraleedharan, has been selected for the Rajiv Gandhi Pratibha Award instituted by the Rajiv Gandhi Samskarika Samithy.

A statement from the samithy said the award is given annually for the politician who has made outstanding contributions.

Directive to traders

Traders selling fruits, vegetables, provision and other essential commodities have been directed by the District Supply Officer (DSO) to prominently exhibit the price list of the items at the shops.

Restaurant owners have also been directed to exhibit the price list of eatables, failing which stern action would be taken.

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