Date:17/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/17/stories/2008121761811000.htm

Kerala - Kochi

Prime Minister to open Naval Academy

Special Correspondent

Function scheduled to be held on January 8
Total cost of the project put at Rs.750 crore

Kochi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will dedicate the Ezhimala Naval Academy to the nation on January 8, Union Defence Minister A.K. Antony has said.

The foundation stone for the academy, the biggest in Asia, was laid on January 17, 1987 by the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The total cost of the project is Rs.750 crore.

A review meeting was held in 2007 and this was followed up by constant monitoring and review of the progress of the work, Mr. Antony said.

Mr. Antony said he had informed Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan about the inauguration.

The academy would change the face of Malabar which is not getting adequate developmental focus. The academy is expected to emerge as a training hub and would host cadets from foreign countries, Mr Antony said.

Mani meets Sonia

Kerala Congress(M) leader K.M. Mani called upon Congress president Sonia Gandhi to take steps to ensure that the Congress and the UDF finalised the list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections as early as possible.

Mr. Mani, who met Ms. Gandhi on Tuesday at the Guest House here, said the usual practice of last-minute filing of nomination papers should be avoided.

The loss of precious campaign time for candidates should be avoided, he said. The process of selecting candidates should not prolong till the deadline, leaving little time for meaningful campaigning, he added.

Mr. Mani expressed confidence of the UDF winning all the 20 seats in the elections. Talking to media persons, Mr. Mani said the ‘current crisis in the agriculture sector’ and the price crash of several commodities had affected farmers. He thanked the UPA government for the Kuttanad and Idukki packages.

Mahila Congress plea

The All India Mahila Congress sought Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s intervention in sanctioning a special revival package for Fertilizers and Chemicals Travancore (FACT).

In a memorandum to Ms. Gandhi here, Mahila Congress leader Simmy Rosebel John pointed out that several petitions for a revival package had been submitted to the authorities, but no action had been taken so far.