The Hindu : Kerala News : Briefly

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 28, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Briefly

Chandy calls for contribution

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Dec. 27. The Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, today urged all to contribute to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund for providing relief to the victims of tsunami. The Chief Minister announced after a special Cabinet meeting today that the Ministers of his Cabinet would be contributing a month's salary to the fund. The Cabinet urged Government employees and workers to contribute a day's salary and businessmen and traders to contribute a day's income to the fund.

Royal family's gesture

The Travancore royal family today announced a relief of Rs. 1 lakh to the Chief Minister's Welfare Fund. The Confederation of University Employees Organisations and BSNL Employees Union said that they would be collecting funds, cloths, food and medicines for providing relief to the victims of tsunami. The Students Federation of India (SFI) announced that it would gather learning material and cloths for the victims. The Kerala Swatantra Matsyathozhilali Federation today urged the State and Central Government to provide compensation to the fishermen, who suffered heavy damages from tsunami, in tune with the damages. It also claimed that the deaths and heavy loss of property at Karunagappally in Kollam district and Manavalakurichi in Tamil Nadu were the result of mining.

LDF marches postponed

The Opposition LDF has decided to postpone the marches it had decided to take to the State Secretariat and District Collectorates on December 30 to press for the resignation of the Industries Minister, P. K. Kunhalikutty. The LDF convener, Paloli Mohammed Kutty, said in a release here today that the marches were being postponed in view of the disaster that had struck the coastal areas of the State. He called upon all LDF workers to immediately join the rescue and relief efforts. In another release, the CPI(M) State secretary, Pinarayi Vijayan, said that it had been decided to cancel the rallies proposed to be held in connection with the party district conferences in Kozhikode and Pathanamthitta in view of the disaster.

Advani, Naidu coming

The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, L.K. Advani, and the former BJP president, M. Venkaiah Naidu, are reaching here on Tuesday morning to visit the areas affected by the tsunami phenomenon. Mr. Advani would reach here by the morning Indian Airlines flight and would leave immediately for Nagercoil by helicopter. He would reach Kollam in the afternoon and travel by road to Karunagappally, Ochira and Kayamkulam. He would proceed to Kochi in the evening and spend the night there and leave for New Delhi on Wednesday morning, a BJP release said here today. esides Mr. Naidu, the former Union Minister, O. Rajagopal, the BJP national secretary, L. Ganesh, and the BJP State president, P.S. Sreedharan Pillai, would accompany Mr. Advani.

Aid for Maldives

Aircraft of Indian Air Force today dropped eight tonnes of food materials and medicines to the people stranded in Maldives as part of Indian relief assistance to Maldives. The Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, told presspersons that the Centre had requested the State to rush 20 tonnes of food materials and medicines to Maldives. Of this, four tonnes relief assistance were air-dropped over Maldives in two sorties. An official release said that the Avro aircraft left the Thiruvananthapuram Air Force Base to Maldives and carried out the mission this afternoon.

Army team for Alappad

A column of Army has moved from Pangode military camp to Alappad in Kollam district for rescue and relief operations. Brigadier S.K.H. Johnson, Station Commander, Pangode Military Centre, said that a team of 50 solders, including two officers, with life-saving and rescue equipment would reach Alappad this evening. This was on a request from the State Government, he said.

Huge deposits of mineral sand

ARATTUPUZHA Dec. 27. The tidal wave attack that wrecked havoc in Arattupuzha panchayat in the district has deposited tonnes of mineral sand worth several crores of rupees in the area. The four-km-stretch of the panchayat extending from Perumpally to Valiyazheekkal was filled with pure black mineral sand. The black sand was seen everywhere, including the interiors of damaged houses. The coastal road through the panchayat was covered with black sand. Here the road could be seen only after digging half-a-feet. Big mineral sand dunes could be seen at Valiyazheekkal area. Earlier, there had been allegations that mineral sand was being smuggled out from the area by some Tamil Nadu-based companies giving bribes to the locals. Some of the locals in the area expressed the apprehension that the deposited sand would be smuggled out in the coming days. Meanwhile, the Public Works Department officials were removing mineral sand from the road using machines.

Bishop condoles death

KOTTAYAM Dec. 27. Bishop of Kanjirappally Diocese and chairman of the KCBC Commission on Justice, Peace and Development, Mar Mathew Arackal, has expressed his anguish at the sufferings of tens of thousands who were hit by disaster on Sunday. He reminded the members of the community that it was their duty to join the relief operations and said the diocese will extend all possible help to the victims.

`Mathrupooja' performed

Thrissur Dec. 27. A `Mathrupooja' was performed on Sunday as part of the Sreemad Bhagavatha Tattwasameeksha Satram being held at the Narayanashrama Tapovanam at Paralikkadu, near here. As many as 1,000 children worshipped their mothers to the accompaniment of the chanting of Adi Shankara's `Matrupanchakam.'

Minister to lay foundation

KASARAGOD DEC. 27. The Public Works Minister, M.K. Muneer, will lay the foundation stone of the Perumbalakadavu bridge across the Chandragiri river at Perumbalakadavu-Erapakkatta road on December 30. The Minister will also lay the foundation of the Eruthumkadavu bridge on the Neerchal-Mudyathadukka road on the same day.

AI denies passage

Nedumbassery DEC. 27. Twelve people bound for Mumbai were denied passage by Air-India (AI) today, although they had confirmed tickets. The passengers took up the matter with the airline authorities, leading to an altercation at the Nedumbassery airport. They were to fly to Mumbai by AI 691 at 3.45 a.m.; from there, they were to catch a flight to Jeddah. They were denied passage owing to overbooking. AI then promised to send them by Indian Airlines flight, IC 596, later in the morning. Finally, they were sent by the Jet Airways flight, 9W 406, at 8.30 a.m.

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