Kerala

Briefly

Book festival ends

KOLLAM: Books worth more than Rs.65 lakhs were sold at the 10-day book festival organised by the Kollam District Library Council, which concluded here on Sunday. The organisers claimed that the sale figure was a record. Various libraries in the district alone purchased books worth over Rs.33 lakhs. — Staff Reporter

19 more panchayat wards

PATHANAMTHITTA: The Election Department has proposed 19 new wards in the nine block panchayats of Mallappally, Pulikeezhu, Koipram, Elanthoor, Ranni, Konni, Pandalam, Parakode and Kulanada in Pathanamthitta district as part of the ongoing panchayat ward delimitation.

According to an official release issued by the Election Department here, the number of block panchayat wards in the district would go up to 110 from 91.

The deadline for submitting complaints, if any, to the District Collector in connection with the delimitation proposals for the block panchayat wards is May 23.

Congress polls

PATHANAMTHITTA: The first phase of the Congress(I) organisational elections in the district was held today. In a statement issued here today, the District Congress Committee president, K. Sivadasan Nair, has said that the organisational polls were held in 800 booths in the district. The mandalam committee elections will be held on May 17 afternoon.

The DCC(I) chief said that the election of the DCC members and the KPCC members from the district would be held on May 20. The election of the new DCC will be held on May 23, he added.

National conference

KOTTAYAM: The 69th national conference of the Orthodox Christian Youth

Movement of the East will begin here on May 18. The five-day meet will be opened by Catholicos Baselius Mar Thoma Mathews II. Bishop Juhanon Mar Milithos will preside.

The valedictory function on May 22 will be inaugurated by the Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy. — Staff Reporter

Police association meet ends

PALAKKAD: The three-day State conference of Kerala Police Association concluded here on Sunday. The valedictory function was inaugurated by Minister for Fisheries, Dominic Presentation. The delegates' session was inaugurated by DIG (Administration), Y. Anilkumar. The meeting was presided over by Association president, Bhaskaran. The general secretary, Kunju Kunju, presented the report at the delegates' session. A meeting at the Fort Maidan was inaugurated by N.N. Krishnadas, M.P. — Staff Reporter

Krishna Iyer hospitalised

KOCHI : V.R. Krishna Iyer, former judge of the Supreme Court, was admitted to the Medical Trust Hospital after he complained of difficulty in breathing.

The doctor attending on him said that Mr. Iyer suffered a mild cardiac failure due to hypertension. A mild variation in his blood-pressure level was also recorded. The hypertension is now under control. He was on multiple anti-hypertension drugs. ``We need to readjust the dosage for uniform blood pressure. The BP is under control and he has been placed under observation. His heart problem need to be evaluated,'' the doctor said. Mr. Iyer was hospitalised on Saturday morning after he had difficulty in breathing. He was placed under observation in the hospital's intensive care unit (ICU) for 12 hours, before being shifted to the room.— Staff Reporter

Award for Gujarat police officer

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: R.B. Sreekumar, a police officer from Gujarat, who has caused considerable embarrassment to the Narendra Modi Government over its handling of the post-Godhra riots, has been selected for this year's award instituted in the memory of the former Speaker of Travancore-Cochin Assembly V. Gangadharan. He was selected by a judging committee headed by the former Kerala High Court judge M.R. Hariharan Nair. The former Chief Secretary C.P. Nair and the former Director Generals of Police P.R. Chandran and Sattar Kunju were members of the judging committee. — Special Correspondent

Rs.422.92 crores to be borrowed from market

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State Government has decided to float fresh bonds to raise Rs.422.92 crores from the public market.

These bonds will be on sale at the offices of the Reserve Bank of India in Thiruvananthapuram and Mumbai on May 17. Investments will carry an interest of 7.77 per cent, payable in May and November each year. The investments will be repaid on May 19, 2015. — Special Correspondent

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