The Hindu : Kerala News : Briefly

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Friday, Apr 22, 2005

Kerala

Kerala

Briefly

Fuel dealers threaten another stir

KOCHI: Fuel dealers in the State have threatened to embark on yet another stir if the Union and the State governments do not take a considerate view of their demands. The president of the All Kerala Federation of Petroleum Traders, David T. Mookken, said on Thursday that the modes of agitation would range from indefinite closure of bunks, a no-purchase campaign, closure of outlets on Sundays and public holidays and reducing working hours as 9 a.m. to 5 pm. Dealers across the country are faced with very low commission for both petrol and diesel, he said. — Staff Reporter

Respite for local bodies

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State Government has given more time to the local bodies to ready their annual plans for 2005-06. An official press release on Thursday said the grama panchayats, block panchayats and municipalities could take till April 30 to submit their annual plans to the respective technical advisory committees. — Special Correspondent

Delimitation opposed

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Organisations of Latin Catholics have expressed concern at what they described as the cutting up of coastal Assembly constituencies as part of the delimitation process. A meeting of the leaders of these organisations held in the State capital today said that the Thiruvananthapuram West Constituency, for instance, had been divided into several parts and they were being included in the Thiruvananthapuram, Nemon, Kazhakoottam and Vattiyoorkavu constituencies. The meeting urged the Delimitation Commission to create coastal constituencies instead by merging panchayats and corporation wards in the coastal areas. — Special Correspondent

Spirit seized

Coimbatore: A little over 5,100 litres of rectified spirit, estimated at Rs. 4 lakhs, being smuggled to Kerala from Karnataka, was seized from a lorry at Chettipalayam on the outskirts of the city today, the police said.

The highway patrol police, maintaining a strict vigil on the district border this morning, asked the driver of a mini lorry to stop the vehicle.

However, he stopped it far away and escaped, along with his assistant, police said.

A search of the mini lorry revealed 148 cans of 35 litres each containing the spirit, concealed under loads of grapes, the police said. — PTI KSEB steps to lessen loss

KOLLAM: Development schemes worth Rs.5.63 crores is being implemented under the Punalur Electrical Division of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB). In a statement here the KSEB Deputy Chief Engineer K. Radhakrishnan said that schemes aim at enabling the Board to bring down transmission loss considerably.

The programme will receive financial support from the Central Government under the Integrated Energy Development Scheme, the statement added. - Staff Reporter

Centenary fete

KOLLAM: The Kerala Dalit Federation (KDF) will commemorate the birth centenary of the social reformer Swamy Anandatheerthar, at a function here on Sunday.

A seminar on `The role of socio-political organisations towards social reformation' will be held on the occasion. The KDF State president, P. Ramabhadran, will inaugurate the seminar. — Staff Reporter.

Office-bearers elected

KOLLAM: K.P. Salim Kumar and Baby Isaac have been elected president and secretary of the Kollam district unit of the Kerala Gazetted Officers Association (KGOA).

The other office-bearers are N. Shanmughadas and P. Komalan, vice-presidents, V. Venu and V. Vijayakumar, joint secretaries, and A. Pratapsingh, K.B. Prasanna Chandrababu, R. Ajit and G. Ashokan, secretaries. They were elected at the 24th district conference of the KGOA here on Wednesday. — Staff Reporter

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