Date:04/04/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/04/04/stories/2007040416290400.htm

Kerala

Briefly

Hearing adjourned

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing on writ petitions challenging the Ordinance reducing the term of the members of Travancore and Cochin Dewaswom Boards, resulting in the dissolution of the two boards. The case was adjourned as the Government sought time to file an affidavit. The petitions were filed by former Cochin Devaswom Board president and member M.A. Krishnanunni and A.V. Velayuthan respectively, and Jayaprakash Narayanan of Kottayam, a devotee. — Staff Reporter

Jayathilak posted as Collector

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A.Jayathilak has been posted as District Collector, Kozhikode. — Special Correspondent

Appointed

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: P.Venugopal has been appointed as the Director of the Information and Public Relations Department. — Special Correspondent

Foreign cigarettes seized

NEDUMBASSERY: Customs officials at the Cochin International Airport on Tuesday seized 1,600 cartons of foreign cigarettes, valued at around Rs.4 lakh, from a group of six passengers. The seizure was made when the Kasaragod-based group arrived here from Muscat on a Gulf Air flight, GF 276, in the evening. The cartons were found hidden in the check-in baggage of the group members. Necessary steps would be taken, besides imposing mandatory fine, a senior customs official said. — A Correspondent

MP's charge

KOCHI: P.C. Thomas, MP, has said that the demand for resignation of Paloli Mohammed Kutty was politically motivated. In a statement, he said Mr. Paloli was a leader with moral integrity. The final verdict had not been given in the case, he said. - Staff Reporter

Bahrain King, Crown Prince visit Ahamed

Dubai: Bahrain's King Hamad bin Al-Khalifa and Crown Prince Shaikh Salman visited Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed at Manama Hospital where he is undergoing treatment for a fractured leg. Mr. Ahamed suffered multiple right heel fractures after he fell off the stage during the 30th anniversary celebrations of the Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre in the Bahraini capital on Saturday. He was rushed to the Bahrain Defence Force Hospital where he was admitted to the VIP ward. — PTI

Appointed national secretary

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: B.S.Balachandran has been made the national secretary of the Bharat Sevak Samaj, the national voluntary organisation for social service. He is at present the Kerala Pradesh general secretary of the organisation.

Call to set up more research parks

THRISSUR: M.S. Ananth, director, Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai, has said that the country needs more research parks. He was delivering a lecture on `Changing paradigms in the field of engineering education' as part of the golden jubilee celebrations of Government Engineering College here on Tuesday. — Staff Reporter

Plea to speed up paddy procurement

KOTTAYAM: The All-India Ration Dealers' Association has called upon the State Government to speed up paddy procurement, which, they say, has run into rough weather following the lorry strike. In a statement issued here on Tuesday, president of the association Babychan Mukkadan asked the Government to extend police protection to lorries carrying procured paddy to the godowns. — Staff Reporter

Bakery gutted

THRISSUR: A bakery, owned by Neelankavil Devassy, was gutted in a fire that broke out at Mannuthy on Tuesday morning. The fire was extinguished by the Fire and Rescue Services personnel. — Staff Reporter

Land transfer case

THRISSUR: Five persons, including three sub-registrars, were on Monday chargesheeted by the Vigilance in a case relating to irregularities in land transfer in Irinjalakuda.

Sub-Registrars R. Rajeswari Amma, C. Ravindran, M. N. Indira, P. J. Davis of PJD Properties and Investments and K. K. Sankaranarayanan, document writer, were chargesheeted following an investigation led by Vigilance DYSP C. S. Majeed.

Workshop held

KOLLAM: A workshop on "social protection of elders: rights and entitlements" was organised here on Tuesday by Helpage India in association with the Quilon Social Service Society (QSSS). The workshop was organised as part of the tsunami extended response programme. The workshop covered areas such as old-age pension for the eligible from the tsunami-affected areas and other Government and non-governmental schemes for which the elders are entitled to. — Staff Reporter

Call to set up more research parks

Bakery gutted

CPI (ML) State meet

KOZHIKODE: The seventh State convention of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (CPI (ML) will be held at Gandhigreham here from April 20 to 22. K.N. Ramachandran, CPI(ML) central secretary would be among the participants. There will be discussions on "challenges to communist movement" and "duties of left in Kerala". — Special Correspondent

BSNL clarification

KOZHIKODE: BSNL authorities have clarified that the charge for telephone calls from BSNL public call office would be Re.1, including service tax. This is the tariff that came into force on April 1 all BSNL public call offices except village public telephones. Till now Rs.1.35 was being charged. Booth owners are free to collect or not to collect the Rs.2 as service tax. However, whether the service tax would be charged or not has to be made clear in writing in the telephone booth. — Special Correspondent

Summer classes

Kozhikode: Chavara Cultural Centre here will conduct various programmes for children during summer holidays. Classes in classical music and organ will be held under trained teachers. Drawing classes too will be conducted. For details, contact telephone 0495- 2361217.