The Hindu : Kerala News : Briefly

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Friday, Nov 26, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Briefly

UDF convener's promise

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM NOV. 25. The UDF convener, P.P. Thankachan, has offered to exert pressure on the Government to initiate steps for the next pay revision. Inaugurating the 47th annual conference of the NGO Association in Thiruvananthapuram today, he said that the Government would not curtail any benefit of the employees. The Government believed in a contended civil service. He wanted the rights of the typists to be protected even as the Government exploited the benefits of computerisation. He urged the employees to be conscious of their responsibilities. They should realise that every file that came before them contained a vital issue or other of the common man.

SSA panels reconstituted

The monitoring committees of the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) from the State to the school-level have been reconstituted and renamed as Planning and Monitoring Committees. An order to this effect was issued today by the State Government. The Planning and Monitoring Committee at the State-level will comprise three members each of Parliament and the Assembly, district panchayat presidents, mayors, municipal chairpersons, a representative each of the organisations of block and grama panchayat presidents, deputy director of education, director, information and public relations, and four persons selected from the print and visual media.

Applications invited

Applications have been invited for the State Government's agricultural awards for 2003-04. The acceptance of the nominations began today and will continue till December 10. More details can be had from the Principal Agricultural Officers in the districts and the Joint Director (AR & T), Directorate of Agriculture in Thiruvananthapuram.

Loan norms liberalised

The Kerala Transport Development Finance Corporation has liberalised its norms for giving loans. Income tax payers also can now avail themselves of loans from the Corporation on their personal surety. Loans will be given for buying new and second hand vehicles.

Rate revision hailed

The All Kerala Government Contractors Association has welcomed the rate revision of public works by the Government. The Association general secretary, P. Viswanathan said today that the association had been pressing the Government for it for the last three years.

69 per cent polling

An average 69 per cent polling was registered in the bypolls held to 18 local body wards in the State today. The counting will take place tomorrow.

Change in train schedule

The trains 6309/6310 Ernakulam-Patna-Ernakulam Expresses, which were running as weekly trains, have been converted into bi-weekly with immediate effect. The 6309 Ernakulam-Patna Expess will leave Ernakulam Junction on Monday and Tuesday at 5.25 p.m. and will reach Patna at 11.25 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday. In the return direction, the 6310 Patna-Ernakulam Express will leave Patna at 1.20 p.m. on Thursday and Friday to reach Ernakulam Junction at 11.10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Bags first rank

S.L. Vipin has won the first rank in the B Sc. (Forestry) examination of the Kerala Agricultural University held in October 2004.

Invited to Asian conference

R. Rajendran, a senior consultant paediatric surgeon of Thiruvananthapuram, has been invited to attend the 19th Congress of the Asian Association of Paediatric Surgeons being held at Hong Kong from November 28 to December 1. He is the State convener of the Accident Care Task Force (ACT Force) and editor of the Kerala Chapter of the Indian Association of Paediatric Surgeons.

Indal labour dispute

KOCHI NOV. 25. The labour dispute at Indal, part of the Aditya Birla group, has been referred for adjudication by the Government. A press release from the Indal Workers' Association, INTUC, and the Indal Employees' Organisation, said today that the Government has asked the management to pay an interim relief of Rs. 1,600 to the employees. The Government had also declared the strike illegal. On the basis of the order, workers belonging to both the unions joined duty on Thursday. The Government blamed the company management for not taking a helpful stance in renewing the long-term wage agreement, the press release said.

Three names recommended

The Federal Bank Director Board, which met here today, is understood to have recommended three names for the post of chairman. The names will be forwarded to the Reserve Bank of India for the final decision. The selection has become inevitable as the tenure of the present chairman, K.P. Padmakumar, ends on December 31. The names are yet to be announced officially. According to unofficial sources, the Bank of India chairman, M. Venugopal, the Dhanalakshmi Bank managing director, T.R. Madhavan, and the Bank of India general manager, G.M. Subrahmanayam, are the candidates.

Emirates cuts fares

Nedumbassery NOV. 25. Emirates has reduced fares for its services from Kochi to Dubai. The renewed fare, which has come into effect, is 40 per cent less than the prevailing rate. Emirates operates seven services to Dubai from the Cochin International Airport. Qatar Airways has effected a 50 per cent reduction in ticket rates for its Gulf sector services. Besides, the Doha-based airline company has also brought about a reduction of 50 per cent in fares for its services from Doha to Europe and another 40 per cent for its services to the United States. Qatar Airways passengers from Kochi bound for Europe and the U.S. could also benefit from the reduced fares.

Call to check unauthorised wiring

KANNUR NOV. 25. The Kerala Electrical Wiremen and Supervisors' Association (KEWSA) has urged the Government to ensure measures to check unauthorised wiring works. At a press conference today, the KEWSA State president, M.K. Rajappan, said that steps should be taken to make functional the district-level committees constituted in 1999 to check unauthorised wiring works. He said that the association State conference to be held here on November 27 would raise this demand. The other demands of the association included expansion of the ceiling for C Class licence, withdrawal of the KSEB's proposal to abolish permits for wiring works and set up a commission to study the nature of wiring works.

Call to promote Sanskrit

Thrissur Nov. 25. The cultural and spiritual growth of the country is possible only through the promotion of Sanskrit, V.R. Krishna Iyer, former judge of the Supreme Court, has said. Delivering the P.T. Kuriakose Memorial Lecture at the Guruvayur campus of the Rashtriya Sanskrit Samsthan on Thursday, Mr. Krishna Iyer said that Sanskrit had survived the onslaught of western civilisation. The others who spoke on the occasion included the Speaker, Therambil Ramakrishnan, and the former registrar of the Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit K.G. Poulose.

Ummer award

Bhargavan Pallikkara has been selected for the K.P. Ummer Memorial Life-Time Achievement Award. The award, instituted by the K.P. Ummer Memorial Committee, includes a purse of Rs.5,000. The award was decided by a committee comprising K. Kochunarayana Pillai, Alancode Leelakrishnan and Sajeevan Nambiyathu.

Lecture

KOTTAYAM Nov. 25. This year's Bailey Memorial Lecture will be held at the CMS College Hall on Friday. The lecture on `Quality Assurance in Higher Education' will be delivered by V.S. Prasad, Director, National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).

Lepakshi exhibition

KOLLAM Nov. 25. Lepakshi, the retail outlet of the Andhra Pradesh Handicrafts Development Corporation, is organising a 12-day exhibition-cum-sales of Andhra Pradesh handicraft products at the Jawahar Bal Bhavan here from November 26. The Corporation expects a turnover of Rs. 10 lakhs from the Kollam exhibition. Leadership camp

PATHANAMTHITTA NOV. 25. The Revenue Minister, K. M. Mani, inaugurated the State leadership camp of the Kerala Youth Front (M) at Charalkunnu near Kozhencherry today. The KYF(M) State president, Jose K. Mani, presided over the inaugural function. The Rural Development Minister, C. F. Thomas, who is also the party chairman, delivered the keynote address. The camp will conclude tomorrow.

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