The Hindu : Kerala News : Briefly

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 31, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Briefly

Rajan case: MP for CBI probe

THRISSUR MAY 30 . Lonappan Nambadan, MP, today said that he would explore the possibility of getting a CBI inquiry conducted into the death of P. Rajan during the Emergency. Mr. Nambadan told reporters here after visiting Rajan's father, T.V. Echara Warrier, that the nature of Rajan's death was still unknown and a CBI inquiry was needed. "We still don't know how he died or who killed him. A CBI inquiry is conducted when a High Court orders it. The State Government can also request for an inquiry. I will ascertain whether the Centre can do anything to initiate an inquiry into Rajan's death," Mr. Nambadan said. Mr. Nambadan said the controversial remarks by his rival candidate, Padmaja Venugopal, against Rajan had helped the Left Democratic Front (LDF) win votes in Mukundapuram. Prof. Echara Warrier said he would pursue the defamation case filed by him against Ms. Padmaja Venugopal. (The photo shows Mr. Nambadan visiting Prof. Warrier.)

Re-elected as office-bearers

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM May 30. K. Chandrasekharan Nair and Perunkuzhi Sreedharan were re-elected president and general secretary respectively of the All Kerala Cooperative Urban Bank Employees' Association at its State conference here today. The other office-bearers are: K.M. Thomas (working president), Sivakumar, Nandakumar Raja, Venugopal, V. Gopi and Vivek Kumar (vice-presidents), Shaji John (secretary), Ravindran Pillai (organising secretary), Jinson Jose, Vinod Kumar, Abdul Karim, Praveen Chandran and Sathyanathan (joint secretaries) and J. Hari Govindan (treasurer).

Meeting of rank-holders

The Board of Higher Secondary Education has convened on June 1 a meeting of students who had secured ranks in the Higher Secondary Examinations conducted in March, this year. In a press release issued here today, the board said that this meeting was to enable the top officials of the Education Department to hear the rank holders describe how they scored high marks in the examinations. Students who secured more than 580 marks in the science stream, 544 marks in the commerce stream, 559 marks in the humanities stream and 573 marks in the technical stream and 411 marks in the arts group have been requested to attend this meeting, scheduled to begin at 10.30 a.m. at the Government Guest House at Thycaud, in Thiruvananthapuram, on Tuesday. The Education Minister, Nalakath Soopy, too will attend the meeting, the press release added.

Award for K.N. Panikkar

The Vice-Chancellor of the Kalady Sree Sankara University, K.N. Panikkar, has been selected for the cultural award instituted by the Purogamana Kala Sahithya Sangham, in memory of its former State secretary, A. Sudhakaran. The award carries a purse of Rs. 5,000, a plaque and a citation. In a press release, the organisation said Dr. Panikkar was selected for the award in recognition of his contributions as a historian, cultural activist, orator and educationalist in the fight to preserve secularism in the country.

Admission to polytechnics

The Director, Institute of Human Resources Development (IHRD), has invited applications for admission to the Model Polytechnics at Vadakara, Kallettumkara, Mala, Mattakkara, Painavu, Kalliassery and Karunagappally, for the year 2004-05. Applications can be had from the above polytechnics under the IHRD. The last date for submitting applications is June 21, according to an official release.

Model service centres

The Government has issued orders confirming the selection of 2,605 Government institutions for development as model service centres under the service delivery project of the Modernising Government Programme. The proposal is to modernise these institutions. These include the Collectorate, taluk and villages offices, hospitals, community health centres, police stations, sub-registrar offices, schools, local bodies and taluk supply offices. An official release said that the scheme would be extended to other sectors after evaluation of the results.

Small industries hail CMP

KOCHI MAY 30 . The Kerala State Small Industries Association (KSSIA) has welcomed the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) announced by the UPA Government. In a statement, the State president, Xavier Thomas Kondody, congratulated the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, for creating a Ministry for the small industries sector for the first time in the history of India. He said the implementation of the VAT system would give a boost to the manufacturing industry. Steps to expand credit facilities at lower cost to small-scale industries and self-employment enterprises would help economic growth. A national competitiveness council would also be a good step, he said. However, he expressed concern over non-inclusion of a comprehensive law for small industry development in India.

Bid to disrupt peace alleged

KOZHIKODE May 30. The District Development Committee (DDC) has criticised "attempts by vested interests to disrupt the peace in Nadapuram". A resolution to this effect was adopted at a meeting of the DDC today. Benoy Viswam, MLA, moved the resolution and V.K.C. Mammad Koya, MLA, supported it. The resolution asked the police authorities to maintain vigil, and ensure that groups that attempted to create problems were rounded up. The resolution appealed to the Government to implement the package for the comprehensive development of Nadapuram on an urgent basis. The Additional District Magistrate, P.T. Thangappan, presided. The MLAs C.K. Nanu, A.C. Shanmughadas, Mathai Chacko, T.P.M. Saheer, the Vadakara Municipal Chairperson, V. Thangamani, and the District Planning Officer, A.C. Satheedevi, were present.

Chalachitra Academy to be shifted

Thiruvananthapuram May 30. The office of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy would be shifted to Sasthamangalam from June 1, an Academy release said here today. The new address is `Mony Bhavan', Sasthamangalam, Thiruvananthapuram, 695010. There is no change in the telephone number.

Farewell

The Kerala Secretariat Employees' Association would accord a farewell to the former general secretary, P. Viswambharan, at the association hall on Monday afternoon. Various service organisations have planned another function to accord a farewell to Mr. Viswambharan at the VJT Hall on Tuesday afternoon. The CPI(M) State secretary, Pinarayi Vijayan, will inaugurate the function at the VJT Hall.

Inaugurated

The poetess, Sugatha Kumari, today emphasised the need to teach mother- tongue as first language. Inaugurating the 27th annual State conference of Thapasya Art and Literary Forum here today, she said this would help create a national consciousness and love for nature among the students.

ICWAI classes

The Thiruvananthapuram chapter of Cost Accountants will start classes for the foundation course of the Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India (ICWAI) from June 3. Details could be gathered from telephones 2723579 and 2724201.

Classes

The Chitrakalamandalam has invited applications for painting classes for school and college students. Materials would be provided free of cost. Classes will be held at Anatha Padmanabh Nilayam auditorium on all Saturdays and Sundays. Details could be sought from telephones 2471311 or 2465942.

Essay, painting contests

KOZHIKODE MAY 30. The Gandhi Peace Foundation Trust will organise a painting and essay contest for upper primary, high school and college students in connection with World Environment Day on June 5. Two students each from an institution can participate. The participants must reach the venue at Gandhi Griham at 9 a.m. on June 5 with sanction letters countersigned by head of the institution. Paper will be provided by the organisers. A lecture on environment protection will be held on the occasion.

Demand

The 32nd annual meeting of the LIC Employees Union Kozhikode Division, which concluded here today, has in a resolution demanded that the Kerala High Court verdict banning hartals ought to be re-examined. Hartals were natural reaction against anti-people policies and programmes, and as such these ought not to be curbed, the resolution said. At the end of the two-day deliberations P.Bhaskaran was elected at president, P.P. Krishnan, general secretary and P.Roy Kurien, treasurer.

Haj subsidy

The State Committee of the Samastha Kerala Sunni Students Federation (SKSSF), has demanded that the Haj subsidy be reintroduced. The committee in a memorandum submitted to the Union Minister of State for External Affairs, E. Ahamed, said the Vajpayee Government's suspension of this subsidy was unjustified.

The long-time assistance had been stopped as part of the anti-Mulsim policy of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government, it was pointed out. The committee appealed that the demand be taken up urgently by the Minister.

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