The Hindu : Briefly

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 22, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Briefly

Manjium trees burnt

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM MARCH 21. A number of `manjiam' trees on a two-acre farm near the Government LPS, Palode, were partially burnt in a fire that broke out there this evening. According to the Fire Force, though a fire engine was despatched, the local people had put out the fire by the time the Fire Force personnel reached the spot.

Ajitha

felicitated

KOZHIKODE March 21. The president of Anweshi Women's Counselling Centre, K. Ajitha, was accorded a felicitation here today on being presented the Sadguru Jnananda National Award instituted by the Manava Sevadharma Samvardhana Charitable Trust. Social activists and Anweshi volunteers assembled near the moffusil bus stand to felicitate Ms. Ajitha.

Admission to special school

The Badagara Rotary School for the Hearing Impaired will conduct the screening camp for selection of students to LKG classes during the second week of April. Parents of children between three and six can register the names with the Headmistress, Rotary School for the Hearing Impaired, Opposite Sidha Samaj, Kavil Road, Nadakkuthazha P.O., Vadagara-673112, or contact chairman telephone: 9846312399.

Training project for mahouts

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM March 21. A spate of mishaps involving captive elephants in the recent months has prompted the Wildlife Department to undertake a project to train all mahouts and enlighten elephant owners on the best practices for these animals. The project envisages a series of workshops for these people at different locations in the State. The first of the workshops is scheduled to be held at the Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi, on Monday, according to a press release issued by the Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), B. S. Corrie. The project is sponsored by the Elephant Project of the Union Ministry of Forests and Environment.

`Poor response to drought crisis'

The Kerala Gazetted Officers' Association today accused the State Government of being tardy with its response to the ongoing drought crisis. In a statement here today, the association said the State Government had miserably failed to convince the Centre about the seriousness of the situation here ensure adequate assistance to the affected people. The extent of the crop loss was unimaginably high and people were struggling for drinking water. There had even been deaths due to sunstroke. The association deplored the Government's tendency to blame the officials for its failure to provide relief to the affected people. It said that, even in this crisis, there were restrictions on releasing funds for relief work.

Negotiation with Nabard

The State Government has sought the help of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) in tackling the drought crisis here. The Minister for Cooperation, M. V. Raghavan, is slated to meet the chairman of Nabard, Rajankumar, in New Delhi on Monday to press the subject. He Minister's mission is to prevail upon the Nabard to have short-term loans worth Rs. 750 crores converted into long-term loans so that the monthly repayment burden becomes lighter. An official press release today said that the chairman of the State Cooperative Bank, K. R. Aravindakshan, would be accompanying Mr. Raghavan to New Delhi for the negotiation.

Plea to postpone examination

The former MP, V.S. Sivakumar, has urged the Central Government to postpone the all-India medical entrance examination scheduled to be held at the Easter day on April 11. When the world is celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the examination cannot be conducted. This is against the secular principles of the nation, he said in a statement here today.

Three injured in accidents

Three persons suffered injuries in as many accidents in and around Thiruvananthapuram today. A four-year-old girl Anakha, who had put her hand out of the window of the KSRTC bus she was travelling in suffered injuries on her hand when another bus which passed by hit her. The incident happened at Palayam this evening. Sathosh (31) a resident of Manacaud suffered injuries to his head when his bike lost control and hit a post by the side of the road at Ambalathara this evening. Sreejesh(25), a resident of Thalassery, who had gone on a tour to Kanyakumari, suffered injuries to his hand following a collision between a KSRTC bus and the tourist bus he was travelling in, at Udiyankulangara. All three have been admitted to the Medical College Hospital and are reportedly in a stable condition.

Succumbs to injuries

Raju (35), a resident of Kottarakkara, succumbed to the injuries suffered when the branch of a tree he was helping to cut, fell on his head this evening. According to a spokesman of the Medical College Hospital, he was brought dead at about 5 p.m. today.

2 die after inhaling toxic gas

KOTTAYAM March 21. Two persons were reported dead after inhaling toxic gas from a well at Kallara near here. The dead have been identified as Shibu (32) of Puthuppally House, Perumthuruthy and his neighbour Baburaj (31) of Pandarathumpara House. According to the police, Shibu was trying to remove the panelling off the side-wall of a newly-dug well, when the scafolding gave way and he fell into the well. Baburaj went into the well to rescue his friend, but both fell unconscious and later died. The bodies were taken out with Fire Force assistance.

Iyer calls for national pension policy

KOCHI MARCH 21. Formulating a national policy on pension was imperative, the former Supreme Court Judge, V.R. Krishna Iyer, has said. Inaugurating the Kerala State unit of the Retired Bank Officers National Confederation here on Sunday, Mr. Iyer said the move to allow private agencies to handle the pension fund should be resisted.

He also pointed out that the decision to limit the pensionable age till 70 years was unconstitutional P.V. Mathew, national vice-president of the All-India Bank Officers Confederation (AIBOC), the AIBOC State secretary, V.K. Prasad, and others spoke.

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