Date:10/06/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/06/10/stories/2004061013960300.htm

Kerala - Kochi

Around the City

Poverty eradication programme

KOCHI, JUNE 9. A Rs.5,430-lakh poverty eradication programme, approved by the Union Government for Mattancherry has got underway under the Department of Local Administration. The programme is aimed at raising the living standards of the people in the area, said the Minister for Local Administration, Cherkkalam Abdullah, in Thiruvananthapuram today. He was a speaking at the first meeting of the advisory committee of the project. The programme would focus on housing, drinking water, self-employment generation and infrastructure development, according to a press release.

Action demanded

The Paschima Kochi Janakiya Prathirodha Samithi has demanded action against the company, which according to the Samithi exaggerated the expenditure on the construction of the new Mattancherry bridge. In a press statement here today, the Samithi said that the cost of building the Mattancherry bridge was shown to be Rs.25 crores whereas as the Goshree bridges which were thrice as long cost only Rs.37 crores.

Corporation warning

The Corporation of Cochin has warned all `thattukada' owners in the city to dismantle these shops at the earliest or face demolition by the Corporation. A statement from the Secretary of the Corporation said today that no further warning would be issued before the dismantling work gets underway.

SFI's demand

The Ernakulam Area Committee of the Students' Federation of India has demanded that the move to hand over the Ernakulam Law College hostel land to Legal Aid Clinic should be abandoned. A statement from the SFI here today said that about 80 per cent of the students in the Law College were from outside the district and that they would need the hostel badly for pursuing their studies.

Interview Postponed

The Raksha Institute of Special Education (RISE) here has put off the entrance test and interview for its diploma course in special education (cerebral palsy) to June 23. The earlier date was June 16. The test will be held from 10.30 a.m. to 12 noon, followed by an interview at 2 p.m.

Doctoral programme

The last date to apply for the Ph.D. programme offered by the Centre for Doctoral Research at Rajagiri College of Social Sciences is July 15, not June 15 as reported earlier, said the college officials here today. For details, contact at 2555564.