The Hindu : Kerala News : Briefly

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 27, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Briefly

Plea to study farm crisis

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM May 26. The NCP State working committee has requested the Union Agriculture Minister, Sharad Pawar, to send a team of officials to study the crisis in the farm sector in Kerala. The committee, which met here today, also demanded the rejection of the K. T. Thomas Committee report on fees chargeable by self-financing professional colleges and sought a legislation to give effect to the Chief Minister's promise that two self-financing professional colleges would be equivalent to one Government college in terms of the educational facilities available to students from ordinary families.

Rate change in BSNL calls

The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has announced a change in tariff for the intra-circle calls made by its land phone subscribers to the subscribers of Reliance Infocom Limited. In a press release, the BSNL said this change was in view of the migration of Reliance Infocom Limited to the United Access Service Provider system. The tariff would henceforth be on par with cellular service providers. Calls to Reliance mobile numbers beginning with 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 and 38 would be metered as one unit for every 30 seconds throughout Kerala. However, local calls within the Short Distance Charging Areas of Thiruvananthapuram (0471), Kollam (0474), Tiruvalla (0469), Alappuzha (0477), Kottayam (0481), Ernakulam (0484), Thrissur (0487), Palakkad (0491), Kozhikode (0495) and Kannur (0497) would be charged at one unit per 60 seconds.

CPI council meet begins

The CPI State council began a two-day meeting here today to primarily review the party's performance in the just-concluded Lok Sabha election. The meeting, chaired by K. E. Ismail, has begun a detailed exercise of reviewing the election experience in each district and is likely to come up with a statement on the conclusions arrived at by the party. The meeting would conclude tomorrow.

Facilities inadequate: CPI

The CPI Legislature party leader, K. P. Rajendran, has urged the Government to improve the facilities it had created for attestation of certificates of persons seeking employment abroad. In a statement here today, Mr. Rajendran said those seeking attestation were now being forced to spend several days in the State capital and that in several cases the attestation was taking three to four months. The Government should take urgent steps to ensure that the attestation procedures are simplified and that job-seekers are not put to difficulties, the CPI leader said.

Farm journal launched

The Agriculture Minister, K. R. Gouri, today released the first copy of a new-look monthly version of the `Kerala Karshakan', published by the Farm Information Bureau. The new monthly edition was launched in connection with the golden jubilee of this farm journal. Addressing a function organised at the VJT Hall for the purpose, she stressed the need for disseminating the latest scientific information among the farmers to make agricultural operations in the State more competitive.

Vinaya to be re-inducted

KOZHIKODE MAY 26. Steps have been initiated to take back constable Vinaya who was expelled from the police force on disciplinary grounds. According to police association sources the formalities regarding re-inducting the constable, who had been terminated from service, have been completed. Vinaya had been expelled from service a year back following her demand for separate grading for women personnel at the State police sports meet held in Kannur. Vinaya had protested by laying down across the track, and disciplinary action was initiated against her.

Awards announced

The senior politician and CPI leader, P. K. Vasudevan Nair, and senior journalist, U. K. Kumaran, have been chosen for the Award of the Moidu Maulavi Foundation for 2004.

Mr. Vasudevan Nair gets the award for his bold interventions in social issues and his untainted record as a social worker.

Mr. Kumaran, who is on the editorial staff of Kerala Kaumudi, is an established short-story writer and is presently vice-chairman of the Kerala Sahithya Akademi.

He has been selected for his bold and honest initiatives as journalist and for his strong social commitments.

The award-winners were chosen by a committee headed by the KFDC chairman, P. V. Gangadharan, and consisting of K. T. Reghunath, former president, Malabar Chamber of Commerce and A. Sajeevan, journalist.

Hindustani vocal recital

THRISSUR MAY 26 . A Hindustani vocal recital by Sangeeta Lahiri will be held at the Regional Theatre here on May 30 by Navaneetam. She will be accompanied by Shankhchur Lahiri on the tabla. A disciple of Pandit Chinmoy Lahiri, Brijbala Devi Muzzafarpur and Ustad Ghulam Akbar Khan of the Rampur Sahaswan gharana, Sangeeta Lahiri has specialised in thumri and dadra styles, says a press release.

Diabetes

camp

An awareness camp on diabetes will be organised by the West Fort Hospital here on May 30. For details, contact 2382130, according to a press release.

100 p.c. pass in CBSE exam

ALAPPUZHA MAY 26 . The Alappuzha SDV Central School has recorded 100 per cent pass in the CBSE 10th standard examination, the school Principal said. All 161 students who had appeared for the examination passed, said the Principal. As many as 85 students got distinction and 54 got first class, he added.

Navathy fete

KOTTAYAM MAY 26. The Ponkunnam NSS union will celebrate Navathy on May 27. Members of the 47 karayogams under the union would participate in the rally and cultural pageantry scheduled for the afternoon, the organisers said. A public meeting will be held at Rajendra grounds at Ponkunnam. The assistant secretary, G. Sukumaran Nair, will preside and the general secretary, P.K. Naryana Panicker, will inaugurate the meeting.

INTUC demand

The district unit of the INTUC has called for change in leadership of the State Government and the KPCC. In a statement here today, it asked the leadership to make the UDF Liaison Committee convener, Oommen Chandy, the Chief Minister.

Keltron courses

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM May 26. New job-oriented courses offered by the Keltron would commence at its training centres in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Kollam on May 27. The courses are: Diploma in Advanced Software Technologies, Diploma in Interactive Multimedia and Web Technologies, Dot Net Technologies, Visual Basic and MS-Access, Visual C++ and Financial Accounting. The minimum qualification for joining the courses is Plus Two or a three-year diploma. More details about the courses can be had from the Keltron IT Education Centres (ph: 0471-2320902, 0471-2596432, 0484-2307548 and 0474-2731061).

Annual meeting

KOLLAM May 26. The general body meeting and annual conference of the Confederation of Residents' Association (Confra), Kollam, will be held at the Sopanam Mini Auditorium here on May 30. The conference will be inaugurated by the Deputy Mayor of the Kollam Corporation, G. Jayapalan Pillai.

Office-bearers

K.R. Yeshodharan and T.V. Philip have been elected president and secretary respectively of the Thevally Nagar Residents Association. The other office-bearers are Remani Iype, vice-president, S. Biju Shankar, joint secretary and M. Santosh, treasurer. V.S. Radhakrishnan and D. Sivanandan are the patrons of the association.

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