The Hindu : Kerala News : Briefly

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 03, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Briefly

BJP asks Chandy to quit

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM NOV. 2. The BJP president, P.S. Sreedharan Pillai, said here on Tuesday that the Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, should either resign or the Centre should intervene to restore of rule of the law in the State. The BJP leader said that law and order had broken down in the State. Journalists had been repeatedly attacked by the goons of the Muslim League with the support of the police. He said that compensation and relief should be provided to journalists who were injured and whose professional equipments were damaged.

Nod for grading system

The teachers organisations have accepted in principle the Government decision to introduce grading system in higher secondary schools from the next academic year, the Kerala Aided Higher Secondary Teachers Association president, Joshy Antony, said in a statement here today. The decision was made in the wake of the discussions the teachers' representatives had with the Higher Secondary Examinations Director, N. Murugan Achari, and the experts committee chairman, M. Sukumaran Nair. The teachers demanded that the authorities prepare a comprehensive curriculum and reconstitute the curriculum committee giving due representation to the teachers.

Tea estate disputes settled

The tea estates of Harrisons Malayalam company at Vandipperiyar will reopen on Wednesday following the settlement of the labour dispute in the company. An agreement on this was reached at the talks held between the company management and the leaders of the labour unions here in the presence of the Labour Minister, Babu Divakaran, and Labour Commissioner, S. Sreenivasan. Accordingly, each worker would get Rs.1,500 in advance in clearance of the wage arrears. Suspended workers, not involved in any criminal cases, would be taken back on receipt of their reply to the charge-sheets. Other issues would be addressed on the basis of the report of the Additional Labour Commissioner. The Mungalar and Valadi estates of the company has been remaining closed for the past six months.

NRE term deposit

The State Bank of Travancore has hiked the interest rates for NRE term deposits with effect from November 1. The revised rates are 3 per cent for deposits of one year to less than two years, 3.5 per cent for two years to less than three years and 3.8 per cent for three years to five years. The revised rates are 0.5 per cent to 0.6 per cent higher than the existing rates.

Gowda flays UPA policies

Thrissur Nov. 2. The national president of the Janata Dal (Secular) and the former Prime Minister, H.D. Deve Gowda, has said that the policies of the UPA Government do not help the farmers in the country. Inaugurating the Kisan Janata State convention here today, Mr. Gowda said that the UPA Government was following the economic policies of the NDA Government. He said that the Janata Dal (Secular) would campaign for the rights of farmers. "We are a small party with only three representatives in Parliament. But our voice cannot be stilled,'' he said.

Award for ISRO chief

PATHANAMTHITTA NOV. 2. G. Madhavan Nair, Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has been selected for this year's Mar Thoma Church Award for excellence in science and technology. The committee chairman, Isaac Mar Philoxenos Episcopa said today that Dr. Nair was selected for the award in view of his rich contributions in the field of space research.

The award, comprising Rs.1 lakh and a citation, has been sponsored by A.V. Johns of Attumalil.

The head of the Mar Thoma Syrian Church, Philipose Mar Chrisostum Mar Thoma Metropolitan, will present the award at a function to be held at the Church Council Hall in Thiruvalla on November 8 afternoon. Dr. Nair would deliver a lecture on `Space and Society' on the occasion. The judging committee comprised the former Supreme Court Judge, K.T. Thomas, Dr George Samuel and Dr George Varghese. The first Mar Thoma Church Award was given to M.S.Valiyathan last year.

ITI staff on sathyagraha

PALAKKAD NOV. 2. The employees of the Indian Telephone Industries (ITI) at Kanjikkode near here began an indefinite sathyagraha inside the factory today demanding the management to pay their salary. The ITI Employees' Union general secretary, Muraleedharan B. Nair, said that though the unit had been making profit continuously, its employees were not paid salary and other benefits by the management under the plea that the company's other units had been making loss.

The Palakkad unit had made a profit of Rs.402 crores during the last seven years, he said.

Rubber growers' contribution

KOTTAYAM Nov. 2. The last date for remittance of their share to the Price Stabilisation Fund by the member rubber growers has been extended to November 30, according to press note.

Book

exhibition

Exhibition of books by various agencies under the State Government will commence here on Wednesday. Publications by the Kerala Bhasha Institute, Kerala Sahithya Akademi, State Institute of Children's Literature, Department of Culture and other agencies would be available at the exhibition at reduced rates.

Office-bearers

KOLLAM NOV. 2. P. Umanathan (Canara Bank) and M. Praveen Kumar (Karnataka Bank) have been elected president and secretary respectively of the Bankers Club, Kollam. The other office-bearers are R. Balasubramanyam (State Bank of Tarvancore) and V.G. Nair (Syndicate Bank), vice presidents, B. Bimalraj (Corporation Bank) and S. Ramakrishnan (State Bank of Travancore), joint secretaries, V.N. Gopalakrishnan (Federal Bank), treasurer, and S. Santosh (Indian Overseas Bank), joint treasurer.

Ramzan fair

The Minister for Labour, Babu Divakaran, will inaugurate this year's Ramzan Fair on November 5 at the Chinnakada Pai Godown. The inaugural function will be presided over by the Kollam Mayor, Sabida Beegum and the Kollam MP, P. Rajendran, will inaugurate the sales.

Workshop

KOZHIKODE NOV. 2. A regional workshop on software package for statistical computing was organised by the Departments of Mathematics and Statistics, Providence Women's College, Kozhikode here on Saturday.

Competition

Athidheya will organise a Statewide film ganamela and singing competition as part of honouring P. Bhaskaran, doyen of film industry. According to a release by Athidheya secretary, C. T. Anilkumar, the Kozhikode All India Radio director, C. P. Rajasekharan, will inaugurate the singing competition at the Town Hall here at 8 a.m. on November 27. The participants should have completed 17 years of age. Those interested should contact, secretary, Athidheya, Kozhikode-673011 or on mobile number, 9447542551.

Contribution

KOTTAYAM Nov. 2. The last date for remittance of their share to the Price Stabilisation Fund by the member rubber growers has been extended to November 30, according to press note.

Book exhibition

Medex-2004

Medex-2004, the all-Kerala medical exhibition being organised at the Kottayam Medical College grounds, is gaining momentum with more than 10,000 people visiting the pavilions on the second day of the show.

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