The Hindu : Kerala News : Briefly

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 26, 2005

Kerala

Kerala

Briefly

Plea to Chandy on Union Budget

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM JAN. 25. The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) today urged the Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, to take steps to lobby for Kerala's demands to be included in the Railway Budget and the Union Budget for 2005. The KPCC said in a statement here today that several railway projects, including doubling work, and construction of rail over bridges, had been stopped owing to lack of funds. The statement urged the Government to ensure that a proper package was made available for Kerala's agriculture sector and FACT.

New VHS Director

The Cabinet on Tuesday decided to post V. Sujith as Director of Vocational Higher Secondary education in place of K. Sureshkumar. The Secretary (MGP), K.M. Abraham, will be given additional charge of Secretary (Revenue).

Defence pension adalat

The Controller of Defence Accounts, Chennai, will hold a State-level Defence pension adalat here on April 28 and 29 for all Defence pensioners in Kerala.

The adalat aims to redress grievances of Defence pensioners drawing pension through banks, treasuries and Defence Pension Disbursing Offices (DPDOs). Representations for the adalat will be received from today. A format of the representation can be had from all DPDOs and nationalised banks besides the Zonal Office in Thiruvananthapuram. Defence pensioners/defence family pensioners, defence civilians and their families having specific grievances relating to either sanction or disbursement of pension may submit their representation in writing in triplicate to: The Adalat Officer, C/O Zonal Office (DP), DAD Office Complex, Thirumala P.O., Thiruvananthapuram 695 006. The telephone and fax number is 0471 - 2352454.

Office-bearers elected

M. Devanandan has been elected president, B. Mohanadas honorary general secretary and O.Vasudevan treasurer of the Kerala Government Medical Officers Association. The other office-bearers are A.M. Usmankutty, K.V. Beena and Sainuddin, regional vice-presidents, and Haridasan, C.K. Nagesh and Kurien Oommen, regional joint secretaries.

Arrangements complete for SET

The State Eligibility Test- 2005 (SET) will be conducted at 44 centres in the State on January 30. The examination in Paper I will be held from 10.30 a.m. to 12 noon and for paper II, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. As many as 21,783 candidates have applied for the test in 37 subjects. Mathematics has the maximum number of candidates (3,135). More than 2,000 candidates each are appearing for commerce, English, Malayalam, physics and chemistry. There are none this time for Latin and German. Hall tickets have already been despatched to all the candidates. Those who do not receive either the hall ticket or the rejection memo by January 25, may contact the LBS Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, (Phone number 0471- 2324396). Only those with photo affixed and attested hall ticket would be allowed to appear for the test, according to an official release issued here today.

M.N. Vijayan clarifies

rissur Jan. 25 . M.N. Vijayan, president of Padhom Prathikarana Vedi, today clarified that his statement against the CPI(M) State secretary, Pinarayi Vijayan, was not a personal attack on him.

"In its crusade, the Vedi does not see any individual as a prey or icon," Prof. Vijayan said.

A statement, jointly issued by Prof. Vijayan and the Vedi secretary, S. Sudheesh, had alleged that Kerala society and the Left movement were ashamed of Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan.

Migrant workers' wages

KOCHI JAN. 25. Migrant workers from other States are being denied minimum wages and basic amenities in many factories in the Edayar Industrial Belt, the Periyar Malineekarana Virudha Samithy has alleged. Many of them are living in unhygienic conditions. Unchecked pollution has been the bane of residents and workers in the area. But the State Pollution Control Board had not been doing much, said the Samithy chairman, Yesudas Varapuzha.

Convention

on VAT

KOLLAM Jan. 25. The Kollam City Merchant's Coordination Committee will organise an awareness convention on Value Added Tax (VAT). The convention to be held on January 26 will be inaugurated by the Kollam MP, P. Rajendran.

Seminar on labour policy

The Quilon Management Association will organise a seminar on the `State Government's Labour Policy and Industrial Development.' The Minister for Labour, Babu Divakaran, will inaugurate the seminar to be held at the auditorium of Hotel Sudarsan on January 28.

Inaugurated

KOZHIKODE JAN. 25. A. Sujanapal, MLA, today inaugurated the reception committee office of the VIIIth State Higher Secondary Schools Youth Festival to be held at the Kozhikode Government Model Higher Secondary School from February 6 to February 9, at a function. The Higher Secondary Director, James Joseph, and the Joint Director (Academic), K.K. Mehamood, among others spoke.

Festival venues

The venues of the State Higher Secondary Schools Youth Festival to be held here from February 6 to 9 have been decided.

The main venue is the Government Model HSS in the city. Town Hall, New Nalanda Auditorium, BEM HSS, Teachers Training College and Zamorin's School grounds are the other venues. The food for the participating students and others will be prepared at the Malabar Christian College HSS.

Convention

on VAT

Seminar on labour policy

Poet remembered

Thiruvananthapuram Jan. 25. Editorials published in newspapers of yesteryear reflect crucial phases in social and democratic evolution and as such, they deserve better attention from social scientists, historian K.N. Panikker said here today. He was speaking after inaugurating the 126th birth anniversary of Mahakavi Pandalam Kerala Varma.

Hailing the role played by the Mahakavi in the evolution of the democratic process in Kerala, Dr. Panikker said the editorials penned by the Mahakavi reflected the social psyche of a critical period in the history of the State.

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