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Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 09, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Briefly

Cabinet meet postponed

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM JUNE 8. The weekly Cabinet meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, has been postponed to Thursday as the Chief Minister, A.K. Antony, and other Ministers are going to Palakkad to attend the funeral of Congress leader, P. Balan.

Steps to end discrimination

The Government has asked those concerned to end the discrimination against females in forms distributed by the Government for various purposes when they are printed afresh. An official pressnote said today that in the forms in which details of land in possession, house and family were to be given, the applicant was referred to in male terms only like `kaivashakkaran' and `kudumbanathan'. This practice was continuing even after the High Court ordered changes in it. The Government has asked the Heads of Departments and the District Collectors to ensure that its direction in this regard was strictly followed.

Price of coconut saplings

The Government has fixed the price of the high yielding varieties of coconut saplings raised in the farms of the Agricultural Department. The West Coast Tall will cost Rs 20, hybrid varieties Rs. 25 and the Orange Dwarf and the Malayan Yellow Dward Rs. 10 each. Saplings of mango, jack, cashew, sapota, guava, gooseberry, ginger, turmeric, vanilla, nutmeg, clove and pepper are also ready for distribution. They will be distributed through the Krishi Bhavans.

KSMTF's demand

The Kerala Swatantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation has asked the Government to view seriously the threat of a section of the boat owners to defy the trawling ban. The State president of the Federation, T. Peter, in a statement today asked the Government to direct the Marine Enforcement wing and the police to be vigilant enough to thwart any such move. He warned that if the enforcement of the ban was not strict, the fishermen would be forced to seize the boats in the seas.

MLA fund: CPI(M)'s objections

The CPI(M) has protested against the clearance given by the Government for using the MLA Fund for providing facilities in unaided recognised schools also. The State secretary of the party, Pinarayi Vijayan, said today that majority of these institutions collected capitation and huge fees. Education was a commercial merchandise to them. The clearance given by the Government to use the MLA Fund for providing facilities in these institutions was tantamount to allowing the merchants of education to plunder the exchequer.

KSFE officers on warpath

The officers of the Kerala State Financial Enterprises owing allegiance to the Officers Union observed `Demands Day' today. It was to highlight their demands like a better pension scheme in the place of the PF pension scheme, a fresh long-term agreement in the place of the one which expired two years ago, opening of new branches and launching of new schemes and transfers in a more fair manner.

Sale of flats to continue

The Housing Board proposes to continue the sale through auction of houses, plots and flats till June 30. The Secretary of the Board, P.M. John, said today that it would be done in the division offices of the Board located in the district headquarters at 3-30 p.m. on all working days. He stated that the Board had been able to mobilise over Rs 35 crores through it and its one-time settlement scheme during the last five months.

Doctor suspended from service

The civil surgeon, K.G. Raghu, has been suspended from service pending inquiry into the death of a 27-year-old tribal youth in the district hospital at Mananthavadi, the Health Minister, Kadavoor Sivadasan, said here on Tuesday. The youth, Raju, had been admitted to the hospital on June 1. However, Dr. Raghu, who was holding charge of the superintendent of the hospital, discharged him the next day. As the patient felt that he was seriously ill, he tested his blood at a private laboratory. The test showed that he had contacted jaundice. Raju died of the disease on June 6. A preliminary inquiry showed that the death was due to the negligence of Dr. Raghu who was also a physician.

University council formed

The State Government has issued an order reconstituting the Academic Council of the Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady. The representatives of the State Government, the Vice-Chancellor, Registrar, Principal Dean of Studies, faculty dean, heads of departments and members of the Syndicate of the university and the chairman of the university union will be ex-officio members of the council. The elected members of the newly-constitutued council are P.K. Dharmarajan, R. Vijayakumar, B. Chandrika, K.K. Ambikadevi, K.K. Velayudhan, N. Prasanthakumar and A. Paslithin. K. Maheswaran Nair, B. Sobhanan, K. Kanthamani, N. Mohanan and B.S. Vanajam have been included in the council as expert members. The student members are K.N. Savitha and K.I. Johnson.

Eachara Warrier not for case

THRISSUR JUNE 8. The noted social activist, Eachara Warrier, has said that he was not keen now to proceed with the defamation case against the Congress leader, Padmaja Venugopal, as she had already withdrawn the allegations levelled against his son, P. Rajan, who was killed in police custody during Emergency. Prof. Warrier said he would withdraw the case if there were any legal provision and if the High Court granted permission for the same.

Defence pensioners' plea

KOCHI JUNE 8. The National Coordination Council of Pensioners' Organisations has petitioned the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, to scrap the Defence Contributory Pension Scheme. In a memorandum, the convener of the council, K.P. Saidalavi, urged the Prime Minister to raise defence pensioners' medical allowance to Rs. 250 a month, to restore full pension after 13 years, to increase the pension by half a per cent for every year over the qualifying 33 years of service and to implement the `one rank, one pension' for ex-servicemen.

Demand for special recruitment

The Kerala Catholic Youth Movement will hold a youth convention here on June 18 to press for special recruitment for Backward Classes as recommended by the Narendran Commission.

The convention will also demand the early completion of the Vallarpadom transhipment terminal which would open up more job opportunities for the coastal people and give a boost to the overall development of Kochi.

Man missing

KOLLAM June 8. A 74-year-old man, Sadanandan, was reported missing from his house at Kilikollur in the city since May 31. The Kollam East police have registered a man-missing case. The police said that Sadananadan is fair complexioned and wears a gold-rimmed spectacles. Anyone having information about Sadanandan are requested to pass on the same to phone number 0474-2727414.

Two-wheeler loans

KOLLAM June 8. Kerala State Backward Classes Development Corporation Limited invites applications from employed members of the Backward Class communities for a two-wheeler loan scheme launched by the Corporation. Those with an annual family income not exceeding Rs.1.25 lakhs are eligible to apply.

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