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Alumni meet

TENHIPALAM: The Alumni Association of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, Calicut University, will hold its third annual conference at the University Seminar Complex here on Saturday. Calicut University Vice-Chancellor Anwar Jahan Zuberi will inaugurate the meet titled `Communion 2007.' A seminar on `crime and the media' will follow. K. Vijay Kumar, Tamil Nadu Additional Director General of Police, and Kesava Menon, Associate Editor of The Hindu , will be the key speakers at the seminar. The meet will also have an exhibition of photographs by Ajeeb Komachi. For details, the office-bearers can be contacted over phones 9847120026 or 9847460528.

— Staff Reporter

Festival concludes

PATHNAMTHITTA: The 10-day annual festival at Sree Vallabha Temple at Thiruvalla came to a close with the ceremonial procession, `Arattu,' on Thursday. The `Pallivetta' ritual as part of the festival was held near Govindankulangara Devi Temple on Wednesday. Tantri Akeeramon Kalidasa Bhattathiri performed the `Arattu puja' at the `Arattu kadavu' in Manimala River, near the Thukalassery Mahadevar Temple, on Thursday. The customary `Arattu' procession was taken out from Thukalasserry to Sree Vallabha Temple in the evening. — Staff Reporter

Festival concludes

PATHNAMTHITTA: The 10-day annual festival at Sree Vallabha Temple at Thiruvalla came to a close with the ceremonial procession, `Arattu,' on Thursday. The `Pallivetta' ritual as part of the festival was held near Govindankulangara Devi Temple on Wednesday. Tantri Akeeramon Kalidasa Bhattathiri performed the `Arattu puja' at the `Arattu kadavu' in Manimala River, near the Thukalassery Mahadevar Temple, on Thursday. The customary `Arattu' procession was taken out from Thukalasserry to Sree Vallabha Temple in the evening. District Superintendent of Police M.N. Jayaprakash, inaugurated the `Arattu sadya' on the temple premises, earlier. .

— Staff Reporter

JBIC drinking water scheme

KOLLAM: Minister for Water Resources N.K. Premachandran has said the Japan Bank for International Cooperation(JBIC)-aided drinking water project will be commissioned by September 2008. Talking to press persons here on Thursday, the Minister said the Rs.2,200-crore project will be implemented in the districts of Kannur, Kozhikode, Alappuzha, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram.

Staff Reporter

Verdict on bail plea today

MALAPPURAM: The Judicial First Class Magistrate Court here completed on Thursday hearing on a petition filed by the Crime Branch of Police seeking cancellation of bail granted to Hilal Mohammed, accused in a cheating case facing trial at the court. The court will deliver its judgment on Friday. Mohammed went to Bahrain on February 13 from Bangalore and returned on February 19, via Mumbai. The Crime Branch had requested the court to impound Mohammed's passport bearing the no. Z 1717047.

Meet on Cauvery water issue

Thiruvananthapuram: Water Resources Minister N.K. Premachandran has convened a meeting of experts here on Friday to discuss the steps which Kerala should take on the Cauvery Tribunal's award. The meeting is being held in the context of the State's stand that it had not been allotted the share of water sought by it. It had sought 99.8 tmc of water. The Tribunal award was a mere 30 tmc. The Tribunal had also not allotted the water required for the Mananthavady, Kerala Bhavani and Banasurasagar multi-purpose projects of the State. - Special Correspondent

Sharad Pawar urged to intervene

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Minister for Agriculture Mullakkara Ratnakaran has told the Centre that the reduction of import duties on edible oils in the Union Budget for 2007-08 would affect lakhs of coconut farmers in the State. In a fax message to Union Minister for Agriculture Sharad Pawar, Mr. Ratnakaran said the proposal had pushed the farmers, who already faced many difficulties, into hopelessness. He urged Mr. Pawar to intervene in the matter. — Special Correspondent

Housing subsidy for SCs raised

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Government has enhanced the subsidy for the housing scheme for Scheduled Caste families from Rs.50,000 to Rs.70,000, Minister for Local Administration Paloli Mohammed Kutty has said. Mr. Kutty said in a release here on Thursday that the subsidy has been raised for the housing scheme being implemented by the Local Self-Government Institutions. This would be applicable to the houses being constructed under the Indira Awas Yojana. — Special Correspondent

Remand extended

Kochi: The CBI Special Court here extended till March 15 the remand of Surya Rao, former Protector of Emigrants, Thiruvananthapuram, who has been accused of amassing wealth by helping fraudulent agencies to recruit personnel for overseas jobs. The CBI arrested him at Visakhapatanam on Saturday and was brought to Kochi. — Staff Reporter

No relief to the common man: CPI

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Communist Party of India (CPI) State secretary Veliyam Bhargavan has said that the budget has nothing in it to provide relief to the common man or to solve the burning problems of price rise and unemployment. In a statement here on Thursday, Mr. Bhargavan said the budget had completely ignored the repeated appeals of the Left parties for measures to check the price spiral. — Special Correspondent

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