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Thursday, Jun 10, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Briefly

No KSEB unbundling now

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM JUNE 9. The Central Government has permitted the postponement of the unbundling of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) by one year, the Chief Minister, A.K. Antony, announced here today. Accordingly, the Board can function in its present form for one more year from June 10. According to the provision of the Central Electricity Act, the Board was to be trifurcated into profit centres from June 10. However, the Chief Minister wrote to the Union Minister for Energy, P.M. Sayeed, on May 27 seeking more time to give effect to the provisions.

TDB members' posting

The State Cabinet is likely to take a decision on filling up the two vacancies in the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) at its meeting on Thursday. The vacancies had arisen after the expiry of the term of office of the two members, Charupara Ravi and T. Sasindran, in August last year. The decision on the appointment of new members has become imperative in the light of the direction of the High Court Division Bench, comprising Justice S. Sankarasubban and Justice A.K. Basheer, to fill up the vacancies of the nominated and elected members within three weeks from the day the direction was issued (May 25, 2004). The board has been functioning only with the president in office. The Chief Minister, A.K. Antony, during his visit to Pamba last Sabarimala season, had told media persons that the Government would fill the vacancies in time for the pilgrim season. But owing to a series of political developments, no decision could be taken, prompting the petitioners to move the court seeking its direction to fill the vacancies.

Trains likely to be delayed

Train services from New Delhi, Nizamuddin and Hyderabad to Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram Central are likely to be delayed following the derailment of a goods train between Renigunta and Gudur in South Central Railway today. A spokesman of Southern Railway said the 2646 Nizmuddin-Ernakulam Express, 7028 Hyderabad-Thiruvananthapuram Express and the 2626 New Delhi-Thiruvananthapuram Kerala Express, scheduled to arrive in the State on Thursday, have been diverted via Gudur, Perambur and Arakkonam. The 6318 Cape-bound Jammu Tawi Express, scheduled to arrive here on June 11, has also been diverted through Gudur. Railway sources said the arrival of all the four trains is likely to be delayed on account of the diversion. The Railways is diverting the 2625 Thiruvananthapuram-New Delhi Kerala Express, scheduled to depart from here on June 10, via Jolarpet, Arakkonam and Perambur.

Revenue staff put off march

Revenue employees have put off their proposed State-wide Collectorate marches tomorrow for pressing their demands in the light of the talks the Revenue Minister, K.M. Mani, had with the representatives of the Kerala Revenue Department Staff Association in Thiruvananthapuram today. The general secretary of the Association, C.R. Jose Prakash, said an understanding had been reached at the talks on the demands for raising the promotion quota of village man and peon to 15 per cent, effecting the promotions to the tahsildar post at the earliest, the preparation of a State-level seniority list of typists and withdrawal of the order for terminating the services of casual sweepers. The Minister reportedly told the meeting that the demand for the restoration of 946 posts had to be placed before the Cabinet as it involved a policy decision.

Chamber's plea to VS

The Chamber of Commerce of Thiruvananthapuram has urged the Leader of the Opposition, V.S. Achuthanandan, to abandon his objection to the Taj Group setting up a hotel near Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram. In a statement today, the Chamber pointed out that Technopark could develop only if facilities like hotels came up around it. It was a necessity for the Indians and the foreigners who visited the institution. Any opposition to the hotel project should be considered as opposition to the development of Technopark and the capital city, the Chamber added.

New GM for SBT

K.K. Chattopadhyay has taken charge as General Manager of the Commercial, Institutional and International Banking Wing of the State Bank of Travancore. He comes from the State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur where he was General Manager (Operations). Mr. Chattopadhyay who started his career in the State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur had held several key posts in it and the State Banks of Patiala and Hyderabad.

Act comes to the aid of workers

The 507 workers of Eurospin Industries of Chelambra in Malappuram which has been remaining closed for the last one year are to get benefits under the Industrial Disputes and Settlement Act. According to an understanding reached at talks held under the chairmanship of the Labour Minister, Babu Divakaran, they will get bonus, gratuity and compensation. A special compensation consisting of 15 days' wages which comes to not less than Rs 1500 will be paid to them. The basic pay as on September 25, 2001 and the consumer price index of October 2001 will be taken into consideration for calculating the benefits which will be paid within six months. The agreement in this regard was signed by the representatives of the mangement, the trade unions and the Labour Commissioner, S.Sreenivasan.

`Technopark violated pact'

ALAPPUZHA JUNE 9. The former MLA and chairman of the finance committee of the Kerala University Syndicate in 1991, G. Sudhakaran, has said that the Technopark at Karyavattom has violated an agreement on transfer of land. Mr. Sudhakaran, who had been a member of the sub-committee of the University which looked into the issue of transfer of University's land, said the committee approved the sale of 50 acres to the Technopark at the rate of Rs. 1,500 per cent following an understanding that the remaining amount it owed to the University would be given later. But it did not happen, he said. Mr. Sudhakaran also recalled that the Technopark had agreed at that time that the post-graduate and research students of the University would be provided facilities for study and research in the Technopark without any fees. But the students who went there were being denied entry, he said.

Speaker flays decision on fund

THRISSUR JUNE 9. The Speaker, Vakkom Purushothaman, has criticised the decision to make MLA's fund available to unaided schools. He told reporters here today that the fund should not be given even to aided schools. Earlier, inaugurating the Cooperative Public School at Padukkad here, he said there was nothing wrong in demanding more fees for the management quota in self-financing colleges, if 50 per cent of the seats was in the merit quota. "Or else, many students would join colleges in neighbouring States.''

Girl run over by car

PATHANAMTHITTA JUNE 9. A 15-year old girl, Shinumol alias Yamuna of Mulakkuzha Puthupparampil, was crushed to death when a speeding car ran over her at Mulakkuzha Pallippady, near Chengannur, on the MC Road this morning. According to the police, the accident occurred around 7.15 a.m. when Shinumol, a 10th class student of the Karakkad SV High School, was on her way to the tuition class. A ninth class student at the same school, Deepthi Chandran (14), who was with Shinumol, was injured. The Chengannur police have registered a case in connection with the incident.

Awarded doctorate

PATHANAMTHITTA JUNE 9. Fr. K.T. Mathewkutty, principal of the Catholicate College in Pathanamthitta, has been awarded doctorate in Christianity from the Mysore University. Fr. Mathewkutty has been awarded Ph.D. for his thesis on `The Synod of Diamper and its after-effects on the socio-cultural life of the St. Thomas Christians of India during the 17th century AD'.

Programme for women

THRISSUR JUNE 9. Chetana Media Institute and Dristhi Campus Film Club will conduct a three-day film appreciation programme for women at the Natyagriham here from June 17. The programme will include sessions on script-writing and editing. For details, contact the Institute (Ph: 2330830) or the Film Club (Ph: 2387589), a press release said.

Elected office-bearers

K.M. Dharmarajan and K.P. Verghese have been elected president and vice-president of the Thrissur District Retired/Released Defence Service Officers Association.

Playschool

The Sri Sri Vidyalaya at Irinjalakuda, near here, run by the Art of Living Foundation, will open a playschool on June 14. For details, contact Ph: 2900131, 2828028, 2822430.

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