The Hindu : Kerala News : Petition against mass administration of drug

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 05, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Petition against mass administration of drug

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI, JUNE 4. A writ petition was filed today before the Kerala High Court seeking to restrain the State Government and the Health Services Department from administrating drugs against filaria without the close supervision of medical practitioners.

The petition was filed by N. Krishna Pillai, Ayurvedic practitioner in Thiruvananthapuram.

According to him, the Government had chalked out a programme to eradicate filaria. As part of the programme, the drug, Di-ethylcarbamazine citrate, would be supplied to all persons.

The petitioner said that the drug had many side-effects and should not be given to pregnant women. In fact, the State as a whole had not been affected by filaria.

The petitioner alleged that no survey had been conducted to identify the endemic areas in the State.

Besides, the drug would be administered without the supervision of medical practitioners

Sentence suspended

A Bench comprising Justice J. K. Koshy and Justice K. Thankappan today suspended a sentence of 10 years' imprisonment awarded to Santhosh, the tenth accused in the Kuppana liquor tragedy case.

The Bench ordered that he be released on bail on his executing a bond for Rs. 25,000 with two solvent sureties and a deposit of 50 per cent of the Rs. 2 lakhs fine imposed by the lower court. Earlier, the court had granted bail to five other accused in the case.

Marad case hearing adjourned

A Bench comprising Justice Cyriac Joseph and Justice K.Padmanabhan Nair adjourned to June 8, the hearing on an appeal against a single judge's verdict upholding the order of the Marad Commission issued in January 29 directing the police to furnish the intelligence reports relating to the Marad incidents before the Commission.

The appeal was filed jointly by the Director General of Police, Kozhikode Police Commissioner, the DySP, Special Branch, and Assistant Commissioner of Police, District Special Branch, Kozhikode. At the previous hearing the Bench had directed the Commission not to disclose any portion of the intelligence report submitted by the intelligence wing of the police and the answers given by the intelligence agency to certain questions put forward by the Commission to any persons, including the counsel for parties before the Commission.

Petition dismissed

The Kerala High Court dismissed a writ petition filed against the appointment of B. Ashok as Director of Animal Husbandry.

The writ petition filed by N. N. Sasi, Director-in-Charge of Animal Husbandry (Additional Director), was dismissed by Justice Kurian Joseph. When the petition came up, the Government Pleader submitted that Dr. Ashok had been appointed in the ex-cadre post for one year. A person from among the additional directors in the feeder category of the Animal Husbandry service would be appointed as Director after one year.

The petitioner had contended the post of Director could be filled only by way of promotion as had been contemplated in the Special rules. However, the new director had been appointed by direct recruitment. Besides, the newly appointed director did not belong to the Kerala Animal Husbandry Service. Therefore, he was not entitled to be appointed Director of Animal Husbandry, he contended

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