The Hindu : Front Page : VS inaugurates Onam celebrations

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Saturday, Aug 25, 2007
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VS inaugurates Onam celebrations

Staff Reporter

Thiruvananthapuram: Evoking memories of a society free from exploitation and corruption and asserting his Government’s determination towards achieving that goal, Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan lighted the traditional lamp to inaugurate Kerala Tourism’s State-level Onam celebrations here on Friday.

Mr. Achuthanandan lighted the lamp in the make-shift stage set up at the Chandrasekharan Nair stadium here to kick-off the five-day celebrations in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode, other district headquarters and major tourist destinations in the State.

Minister for Tourism Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, Minister for Civil Supplies C. Divakaran, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs M. Vijayakumar, Minister for Education and Culture M. A. Baby, V. Sivan Kutty, V. Surendran Pillai, legislators, Mayor C. Jayan Babu and Chairman of KTDC Cherian Philip were present.

In his address, Mr. Achuthanandan said the festivities are being organised in the backdrop of 206 persons losing their lives in natural calamities and another 200 persons in chikungunya and fever.The farmers are not happy this time around as the paddy fields were submerged and the crops got destroyed. The Government also could not procure paddy as in the last year.

The Chief Minister extended Onam greetings to all Malayalis.

Later, Mr. Balakrishnan presented ‘onakkodi’ to the Chief Minister. Mr. Sivankuty presented the ‘onakkodi’ to other guests. The inaugural function was followed by the three-hour mega show presented by Kairali TV and featuring leading artistes. The cultural programmes are being organised in 16 venues in the capital

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