The Hindu : Kerala News : 25,000 evacuees return home in Alapad

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 30, 2005

Kerala

Kerala

25,000 evacuees return home in Alapad

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, MARCH 29. Over 25,000 people of Alapad panchayat in Kollam district, who had been shifted to safer places following tsunami alert last night, returned to their homes this morning, said the Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy.

In reply to a submission moved in the Assembly today, by Kodiyeri Balakrishnan of the CPI(M) he said warning on tsunami had been issued to nine coastal districts in the State. However, there was no room for concern at present, he said.

Missing girl

He said the police had arrested one person in connection with the disappearance of a ninth standard girl of Thrissur district who, it is believed, had fallen into a trap laid by people associated with the production of television serials.

He said it was Sreejith, the third accused in the case, who had been arrested.

The police had also gathered information on the other four wanted in this connection, the Chief Minister said while replying to a submission raised by K. Radhakrishnan, who also expressed the fear that the girl could have been trapped by a sex racket.

The Government would extend a helping hand to Sahaja to secure self- employment. She had been staging a `sit-in' before the State Secretariat, demanding the arrears of her wages due from her former employer.

If needed, a bank loan would be made available to her. However, the rules of the Government did not permit providing her a job.

Her previous employment was neither through the Public Service Commission nor though an employment exchange, said Mr. Chandy, while replying to a submission raised by P. S. Supal.

Drainage system

In reply to the submission raised by P. K. K. Bava, on the issue of completion of the drainage system in Guruvayur, the Minister for Water Resources, Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, said a high-level meeting would be held here on April 23 to expedite the work.

Almost 95 per cent of the scheme, initiated in 1975, had been completed.

A revised project worth Rs. 11 crores had been pending sanction, the Minister said.

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