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Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 14, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Briefly

Wins gold medal

Thrissur Dec. 13.

S. Parvathy, a Class III student of Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Kolazhi, has won three gold medals in the District-Level Inter-School English Language Proficiency Search Scholarship Examination and Maths Talent Search Scholarship Examination conducted by the Thrissur District CBSE Schools Association. She was ranked first in Thrissur and 14th in the State in the National Cyber Olympiad 2004, conducted by the Science Olympiad Foundation, New Delhi, according to a press release from the Chinmaya Vidyalaya.

Award presented

The K. P. Narayana Pisharody Award, instituted by Kshetra Darsanam, a journal published by the Cochin Devaswom Board, was presented to Swami Mridananda by the Board president, T. K. Vijayaraghavan, at a function here on Monday. The award included a purse of Rs. 10,000 and a citation. Addressing the gathering, poet Akkitham described the Swami as one of the greatest Sanskrit scholars in the country. Writer M. Leelavathy also spoke.

Lok adalat organised

ALAPPUZHA DEC. 13. The Indian Overseas Bank, Mavelikkara conducted a Lok Adalat there on December 11 with the help of the Mavelikkara Taluk Legal Services Committee for recovery and settlement of non-performing asset accounts at Mavelikkkara, Kallumala, Kudassanad and Olakettiyambalam branches of the bank, a bank release has informed.

`Bhagavatha Sathram'

The 22nd Akhila Bharatha Sreemad Bhagavatha Sathram would be held from December 26 to January 2 on the Harippad Government Boys' Higher Secondary School grounds. The Sathram venue has been christened Sri Shunmukha Nagar. Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma will open the Sathram at a function chaired by Sreenivas Gopal, chairman of the Sathram Nirvahana Samithy. Malliyoor Sankaran Namboodiri will deliver the benediction.

NSS camp

KOZHIKODE DEC. 13. A three-day residential camp on `Environment and law' concluded at the Government Law College here on Sunday. The camp was organised under the auspices of the law college unit of the National Service Scheme (NSS).

Office-bearers

PALAKKAD DEC. 13. The three-day State conference of the Kerala Electricity Employees Confederation (INTUC) that ended at Mundur near here on Monday elected K. Muraleedharan as president, K.P. Dhanapalan as working president and M.S. Rawthar as general secretary.

Re-elected

The two-day State conference of Kerala N.G.O. Sangh that ended here on Sunday re-elected M.S. Shyamkumar as president and T.M. Narayanan as general secretary.

Government to bear interest

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Dec. 13 . The Government would bear the interest burden on the ADB loan package under negotiation for taking up urban development projects in various municipal corporations in Kerala, the Local Self Government Minister, K. Kutty Ahamed Kutty, said here today. Mr. Kutty told a news conference that the Government did not wish to burden the municipal corporations with the interest commitment on the ADB assistance, which would come in the ratio of 75 per cent loan and 25 per cent grant. The Government is particular that the local bodies do not have to bear burden beyond their absorption capacity, he said. The Local Administration Minister said the Government would also ensure that the cut in the annual Plan for the current year does not hurt the interests of the local bodies. Normally, the Plan allocation for the local bodies is disbursed in 14 instalments. By current estimates, only two instalments would have to be cut as part of the reduction in Plan size. The Government's effort would be avoid even this. Only funds that remain unspent after March 31 would be cut, he added.

Seat reservation for the elderly

The Government has issued notification reserving five per cent of seats in all stage carriages such as buses for senior citizens. The Government noted that several senior citizens and their organisations had requested the Government to reserve certain number of seats for senior citizens in stage carriages.

X'mas markets open tomorrow

The Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, will inaugurate the Christmas fairs and markets, being organised by the State Civil Supplies Corporation throughout the State, here on December 15. The Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, Mr. Adoor Prakash, will preside.

Project to improve services

The Local Administration Department proposes to set up Janasevana Kendras for faster delivery of various services in all municipalities and city corporations. The Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, will inaugurate the working of the kendras at a function here on December 15.

Notification on entry tax

The Government has issued notification including the Kotta stones and any similar stones in the list of goods on which entry tax is payable. The tax will be payable irrespective of the exemptions granted to dealers registered under the Kerala General Sales Tax Act.

Forum for media studies

A new organisation called `Forum for Media Studies and Protection Kerala' was launched here by journalism students and those standing for the uninhibited and free functioning of the press in the State. A meeting convened in this connection elected R. Satheesh Kumar as the organisation's president and Prashant N. Harippad as its general secretary. The meeting expressed concern over the delay in conducting examinations for the journalism students who had joined the distant education course of the Kerala University. The course was started three years ago.

Kodikunnil flays Jacob

The KPCC general secretary, Kodikunnil Suresh, said here on Monday that the Kerala Congress (Jacob) leader, T.M. Jacob, had no right to continue in the United Democratic Front after having ridiculed the Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy. Mr. Suresh noted that the Leader of the Opposition, V.S. Achuthanandan, who had accused Mr. Jacob of corruption while he was a Minister, was now sharing the same platform with Mr. Jacob. This showed that the CPI (M) would not even hesitate to join hands with the IUML after raising allegations against the party now. Mr. Jacob was trying for a liaison with the LDF to avoid investigations into corruption charges against him in case the LDF comes to power, he alleged.

`Demands Day' to be observed

The employees of universities all over the country, who owe allegiance to the All India University Employees' Confederation, will observe `Demands Day' on December 15. The employees of universities in the State, under the banner of the Confederation of University Employees' Organisations, Kerala, will also highlight their demands on this day, as per the call given by the Confederation, according to R. Ramachandran, its general secretary. A Central legislation guaranteeing the right of employees to strike work, adequate representation for the university employees in the democratically constituted Senates and Syndicates, initiation of steps to regulate the functioning of self-financing institutions, exercise of effective control over NAAC and refixation of norms for bestowing `deemed university status' on institutions, are some of the major demands raised by the Confederation.

Sevanaratna Award announced

KOCHI DEC 13. The president of the Janaseva Shisu Bhavan, Aluva, Jose Maveli, has been selected for the Sevaratna Award of the Senior Christian Association. Announcing this here today, M.V. Pylee, former Vice-Chancellor of Cusat and president of the association, said Mr. Maveli had been chosen for the awrd in recognition of the commendable work rendered by him in the fields of social service and charity. The Shisu Bhavan has rehabilitated over 300 street children. The award consists of Rs. 10,001 and citation. It will be presented at a function on December 21at Hotel Highway Garden here.

Sandalwood seized

ALAPPUZHA DEC. 13. The Mararikkulam police today confiscated 100 kg of sandalwood from a car on the National Highway near Mararikulam. Four persons were taken into custody in this connection. The arrested include Bashir (35), Syedalavi (34), Syed (30) and Mammootty (23), all natives of Palakkad. The police intercepted the car near Mararikkulam Junction at 5.30 a.m. today following a tip-off. According to the police, the sandalwood was stolen from a private compound in Kayamkulam. The police said the accused were taking the sandalwood to Kannur.

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