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Sunday, Apr 04, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Briefly

LDF reviews campaign progress

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM APRIL 3. The State committee of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) today reviewed the progress of the Front's election campaign and chalked out programmes till the Front State committee's next meeting on April 21. Addressing newsmen after the LDF meeting, the LDF convener, Paloli Mohammed Kutty, said panchayat-level conventions would be completed by April 15. This would be followed by house visits by LDF squads. The Front would organise rallies in all panchayats after April 25, he said. Replying to a question, the LDF convener said the Opposition alliance did not propose to take opinion poll outcomes seriously. Opinion polls were not meant to gauge the public mood, but to influence voting patterns. As such, the LDF was inclined to ignore the survey findings and concentrate on its campaign effort, he said. The LDF committee, he said, had discussed the impact of the current dry spell and decided to request the Government to send an all-party delegation to the Centre with its second memorandum. The Government should also suspend revenue recovery measures for default in repayment of farm loans for two years rather than six months as decided now. Opposition activists would stage a sit-in before all taluk offices and banks on April 15 to press its demands, he said.

PSC extends validity of ranklists

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM APRIL 3. The PSC has decided to extend till December 31, 2004 the validity of all existing ranklists that will expire on or before December 30, 2004. The decision was taken after a two-day meeting of the Commission, which ended today. The Government had through a letter dated March 29 asked the PSC to extend the validity of all lists expiring on or before April 30 by six months. The PSC pointed out that if that was accepted, the ranklists, the validity of which would expire after April 30 would stand cancelled after that while those which were expiring before that would remain valid. The Government had in the letter said that even though the recruitment ban, which was in force continuously from January 1, 2002, had been lifted, the reporting of vacancies to the PSC was likely to be delayed as the officials at various levels would be engaged in election work. The PSC which examined the reason stated by the Government for demanding the extension of the lists, felt that the actual delay was likely to be more than the exepcted one. In such situations, the lists had to be extended several times in the past. It was to avoid such a situation that it resolved to extend the lists till December 31.

Demand to construct footpaths

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM APRIL 3. The former joint secretary to Government, Mathew P. Abraham, who has been crusading for footpaths for some time now, has submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister, A.K. Antony, demanding the construction of sidewalks, covering of gaps and holes in the existing footpaths using slabs and removal of obstructions like posts along the walkways. Mr. Antony promised to look into his demands and take action.

SEC disqualifies 10,976 persons

The State Election Commission has disqualified 10,976 persons who had contested the elections to the three-tier panchayats on September 25 and 27 and November 25 in 2000 and January 29, 2001 for not submitting the details of the expenditure incurred for the election as per the provisions of the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act. He has debarred them from contesting for elections to the three-tier panchayats and becoming member for five years from January 10, 2003. An official press note, which announced this today, said that these persons did not submit the accounts even after the SEC had demanded it. They did not give any explanation for it either. The highest of persons to be disqualified are in Thiruvananthapuram district, 1,245 and the lowest in Kasaragod, 183.

Call to oppose Israeli stand

The CPI(M) State secretary, Pinarayi Vijayan, has called upon the people of Kerala to join the global protest against the Israeli threat to kill the Palestine president, Yasser Arafat. In a statement here today, Mr. Vijayan said the Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon's declaration that Mr. Arafat was his country's next target was the latest instance of barbaric attacks on Palestinian people by Israel. The threat to kill Mr. Arafat has come close on the heels of the killing of the Hamas founder, Ahamed Yasin. Kerala, which had an inspiring tradition of anti-imperialist struggles, had the duty to rise as one man to protest against Israeli barbarism, Mr. Vijayan said.

ICWAI exams in June

The next all-India examinations of the foundation, intermediate and final courses conducted by the Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India will be held in Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, Ernakulam and Thrissur in June. The last date for remitting the examination fee is April 15. The classes for the next foundation and intermediate batches will also commence this month. Those awaiting the degree and Plus Two results can also join for these courses.

Bypolls to local bodies

The bypolls to 17 wards of local bodies in the State would be held on April 6. The State Election Commission said today that necessary directions had been given to the District Collectors for the smooth conduct of the poll. Adequate police force would be deployed in the problem booths. As the Lok Sabha election is being held in May, the marking with indelible ink to identify those who cast votes in the local bodies poll would be put on the forefinger of the right hand instead of the left hand.

SET certificate distribution

The certificates of successful candidates in the SET examination would be distributed at the district level from April 5. An official press note said today that the candidates may collect the certificates from the district in which they appeared for the examination. The authorities have announced one centre in each district for handling the certificate distribution. There is no fee for the certificate. The candidates should produce the slip of the hall ticket at the centre either directly or through an authorised person. The certificates of persons whose results have been withheld have not been sent to the distribution centres if they have not produced the necessary documents in the LBS Centre at Thiruvananthapuram. The certificates would be issued to them only after they produce the documents.

National meet on astrology

A four-day national conference on Sanskrit, Astrology, Vaasthu, Tantra and Mantra would be organised in the city from April 8 to April 11 in connection with the 20th anniversary of the Jyotisha Prachara Sabha. Addressing a press conference here today, the president of the Jyotisha Prachara Sabha, N.E. Muthuswami, said delegates from various parts of the country would present papers on topics ranging from `Role of palmistry in criminal investigation' to political predictions.

Farmer commits suicide

KOTTAYAM April 3 . A farmer from Idukki committed suicide on Friday to escape revenue recovery from a cooperative bank from which he had taken agriculture loan. Mathew Thomas alias Mathen (68) had availed agriculture loan from the Kokayar Cooperative Bank and had defaulted on repayment on account of the crisis in the agriculture sector. He consumed poison at Mundakkayam on Friday afternoon in public, after drafting a suicide note saying that the bank had initiated recovery steps against him and he was not in a position to repay the loan. Though he was taken to the Kottayam Medical College hospital, the farmer breathed his last in the early hours of Saturday.

Move for double taxation opposed

KOZHIKODE APRIL 3 . The Calicut Chamber of Commerce and Industry has strongly condemned the "impractical'' double taxation proposals and the Government's continuation of steps against traders and anti-trader directions contained in the State budget. An emergency meeting of the Chamber here noted that even though the Finance Minister and the UDF Coordination Committee had taken a strong stance against the implementations of these directions.

It was condemnable that such directions were being implemented just to protect the interests of a section of officials.

Fine arts camp

KOLLAM April 3. The poet, Thirnellur Karunakaran, will inaugurate the Sopanam fine arts camp organised by the Quilon Public Library and Research Centre on April 5. The camp would include dance, music and painting classes. Children above the age of five could attend the camp. Certificates would be given to the participants.

Third round of Pulse polio

The third round of Pulse polio vaccination in the district will be administered through 1,868 booths from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on April 4. Each booth would be manned by two persons. The vaccination would be administered at hospitals, railway stations, bus stands and anganwadis. Mobile booths have also been arranged.

`Vasthu vidya' classes

The Health Minister, Kadavoor Sivadasan, will inaugurate `Vasthu vidya' classes to be held at the Public Library Hall here from April 8 to 13. Vasthu vidya experts, Kanipayyur Krishnan Namboodiripad, A. Achuthan, P.V. Ouseph, N.M.C. Warrier and C.S. Unnikrishnan, will conduct the classes.

`Nalacharitha mela'

KOTTAYAM April 3. Kaliyarangu, a town-based organisation of Kathakali lovers will organise a `Nalacharitha Mela' that will present `Nalacharitham aattakatha' in full. The presentations will form part of the organisation's monthly programmes and the actors who don the roles of Nala and Damayanthi will be the same in the presentations to be organised in subsequent months, according to a press note.

Navodaya admission

KASARAGOD APRIL 3. Application forms are being distributed for seeking admission to few seats vacant in the ninth standard in the Periya Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya. The completed application should be submitted latest by April 10.

Police control room

A second control room of the police would be opened in Kanhangad on Monday. The Superintendent of Police, Viajayan would inaugurate the new police control room to function at a building behind the Hosdurg DySP's office. A team of six sub inspectors, five head constables and 12 constables besides few men from the Kerala Armed Police has been allotted to the control room. The residents, under the Neeleswaram, Chanthera, Bekal, Hosdurg and Cheemeni police station limits, can seek assistance from or inform law and order problems to the control room.

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