The Hindu : Kerala News : Briefly

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 04, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Briefly

Stone to be laid for Aayakar Bhavan

KOLLAM May 3. The Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Kochi, Brij Mohan Jindel, will lay the foundation stone for the Aayakar Bhavan to house the Kollam Range office of the Income Tax Department, on May 5. The Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Thiruvananthapuram, L. Kuriakose, will preside over the inaugural function. The Director General of Income Tax (Investigation), K. Venkatramani, will be the chief guest.

Mass drug therapy for filariasis

ALAPPUZHA MAY 3. The Health Department would implement a mass drug therapy programme for filariasis patients in the district on June 5, according to an official press release. Prior to the programme, the department would conduct morbidity surveys in Cherthala, Ambalappuzha and Karthigappally taluks in the district, added the release.

Free medical camp

KOZHIKODE MAY 3. Fathima Hospital here will organise a free heart disease detection camp here from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on May 5. According to a release, those selected patients from the camp will be provided concessions for undergoing heart surgery. Those interested in attending the camp should contact telephone numbers, 0495 - 2766630, 2766340 or 2666905, for advance booking.

Paid holiday on May 10

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM May 3. The Government has asked the Labour Commissioner to take steps to declare a paid holiday for employees of shops and commercial establishments on May 10 in connection with the Lok Sabha elections. The Government order in this respect covers private enterprises, private industrial centres and other private institutions under the Shops and Commercial Establishment Act. The Government has also declared a holiday for all public offices and educational institutions.

`Drop cases against Maudany'

The Confederation of Human Rights Organisations (CHRO) has demanded that the Antony Government withdraw all the cases charged against the PDP leader, Abdul Nasir Maudany, in connection with the speeches he had made before in connection with the Coimbatore bomb blast case. In a statement here today, the CHRO secretary general, Mukundan C. Menon, pointed out that the Tamil Nadu Police was opposing Mr. Maudany's bail pleas citing these cases.

Plea to vote for LDF

The All-India Plantation Labour Federation has urged the plantation workers in the State to vote for LDF candidates. In a statement here today, the federation general secretary, P. Lalaji Babu, said that around 20,000 permanent workers and about one lakh persons dependent on them were experiencing severe hardships on account of the continued closure of 22 estates in Idukki, Wayanad, Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts. Eight workers had committed suicide and 39 others had died for want of proper medical care. The UDF Government had not provided any relief to the workers and their families and the Central Government had not cared to implement the January 5 Supreme Court order that it should take over nine estates. Only a change of Government at the Centre would help find a solution to the plight of the workers, he said.

No Internet booking facility: TDB

The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has not introduced Internet booking in the temples being run by the board. In a release here today, the board said no decision had been taken so far to introduce the system in any of the temples governed by it. On deciding to introduce the system, the board would seek applications from institutions that are duly equipped and it would be introduced in a transparent manner, the release said.

Web site on PKV launched

A web site on the LDF candidate in Thiruvananthapuram, P.K. Vasudevan Nair, has been launched. The interactive website comprises a brief history about Mr. Nair, certain pictures and his request to vote. The site address is `www.votepkv.com'.

Strike withdrawn

The workers of the English Clay India Limited, a private company at Veli, near here, ended their 21-day-old strike today following the signing of an agreement with the company management revising their wages. According to the agreement, signed at a meeting convened by the Deputy Labour Commissioner, the workers will get a minimum monthly salary of Rs. 2,525 and a maximum of Rs. 3,600. A Government press release said that the company would also be implementing `an attractive housing scheme and medical assistance scheme for its workers. Twenty-two workers will be redeployed to new places where the company has operations. All trade unions have assured to cooperate with the company management, according to the press release.

RBI directive

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has instructed all banks to ensure that coins brought to their counters by the customers, either for exchange or for deposit in accounts, are accepted without any reservation whatsoever. In a press release, the RBI informed that anyone could bring coins to its offices in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi to get them exchanged for currency/bank notes.

RBI Governor's visit

The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Y. V. Reddy, and the Deputy Governor, Rakesh Mohan, are scheduled to reach here on May 6. They will be here till noon the next day.

Veerendrakumar's campaign

KOZHIKODE MAY 3. The former Prime Ministers, H.D. Deve Gowda and V.P. Singh, will be campaigning for former Union Minister, M.P. Veerendrakumar in the Kozhikode Lok Sabha constituency on May 6 and 7. Mr. Gowda, would address a meeting at 5 p.m. at Koduvally and at 7 p.m. at Karassery. Mr. Singh will address a meeting at 6 p.m. at the Muthalakulam Maidan here on May 7.

Cusat test today

Kochi May 3. The Common Admission Test (CAT) for admission to the under-graduate programmes, including B.Tech. courses of the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) will be held tomorrow. The test will be conducted at 33 centres in Kerala and Dubai. The test for admission to the post-graduate programmes of the university was held at 16 centres in the State today. Around 7,000 students appeared for the examination, according to officials of the International Relations and Academic Admissions (IRAA) of Cusat.

Congress only alternative: Thangal

THODUPUZHA May 3. The IUML State president, Panakkad Mohammedali Shihab Thangal, today said that only the Congress would be able to provide an alternative to the BJP rule at the Centre. Speaking at an election rally of the UDF candidate, Benny Behanan, here today, the Thangal said the claims of democracy and secularism being made by BJP were only a mask to shield their hidden agenda and the need of the hour was to bring down the BJP Government at the centre. He called upon the people to vote for the Congress and strengthen the hands of Sonia Gandhi.

UDF candidate's claim questioned

KOLLAM May 3. The RSP(B) leader and Chavara MLA, Shibu Baby John, has said that the LDF candidate for the Lok Sabha elections from Kollam, P. Rajendran, has given wrong information to the voters in an election leaflet that the latter had allocated Rs. 25 lakhs from the Local Area Development Fund for the construction of the Dalawapuram-Pallikodi bridge.

In a statement here, Mr. Shibu demand that Mr. Rajendran, who represented the constituency in the 13th Lok Sabha, tender an apology for misguiding the voters.

The RSP(B) leader also cautioned Mr. Rajendran that providing such information in the election leaflet was a violation of the code of conduct.

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