AJ: President Pratibha Devisingh Patil appointed new Kerala Governor. R S Gavai, the Bihar Governor, became the new Governor of Kerala. The present Governor R L Bhattia will take the charge of Bihar. Shiv Charan Mathur will become the Assam Governor. Mathur was former Chief Minister of Rajasthan. Balmiki Prasad Singh has been appointed as Governor of Sikkim in place of Sudarshan Agarwal.

AJ: At least ten persons including BJP district president C Sivankutty
have been injured in the clash between DYFI and Yuva Morcha activists
in front of the secretariat. DYFI activists took out a march towards
the secretariat where the Yuva Morcha activists were staging a dharna
demanding the withdrawal of class seven textbooks and cancellation of
appointments to the post of university assistants. The clash occurred
when the DYFI, the youth wing of CPM, pelted stones at the Yuva Morcha
activists. Police restored to lathicharge and used tear gas shells to
disperse the violent activists. Five DYFI activists were also injured
the incident. A large posse of police personnel are camping in the
area.

The BJP state unit called for a district hartal alleging police
brutality on Yuva Morcha activists. The BJP will observe a 24hr hartal
in Thiruvananthapuram district. BJP also blamed the ruling front for
using its youth wing to suppress the peaceful agitation staged by the
Yuva Morcha in front of the secretariat.

AJ:The State Electricity Board recommended that the government enforce a one-hour load-shedding during the peak hours, which is 6:30pm to 11:00pm for domestic consumers. The state cabinet is expected to consider the suggestion, the government has limited options, as the monsoon continues to play truant over Kerala. A full board meeting of the KSEB assess the scenario came to the conclusion that peak hour load shedding till the situation eased was the only way out to check the state from slipping into total darkness. Hydroelectric reservoirs in the State are ringing empty 25 days after the monsoon had made a poor entry into the State on May 31.

AJ: Christian Management and NSS have demanded that government withdraw the controversial contents of the seventh standard Social Studies text book. At a meeting of Nair Service Society and Christian Aided School Management Co-ordination Committee at NSS Headquarter in Perunna, the leaders said they were not prepared for any discussion on the issue. The leaders included NSS General Secretary, P K Narayana Panicker, Assistant Secretary, G Sukumaran Nair, Archbishop Mar Joseph Perunthottam, Dr Joseph Marthoma Metropolitan and Metropolitan of Dioceses of Mavelikara Paulose Mar Pachomios. According to the leaders,contents in the book go against the spirit of secularism and national freedom struggle.They also urged the government to withdraw the controversial portions of text books of Standard One, Three and Five.

In an another development, Muslim Organisations submitted a memorandum to Education Minister M A Baby seeking the withdrawal of the controversial lines from the seventh class text book. They also informed their curiosity in connection with the controversial lines. In the memorandum submitted, they have requested to reform the curriculum committee by including those believing in religion.Meantime, the office bearers informed that the minister had assured to discuss the memorandum in the LDF.

AJ: The Kerala High court observed that government should take stern steps to face the frequent hartals in the state. In an oral observation, a Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice H L Dathu and Justice A K Basheer, expressed displeasure at the attitude of the government in not giving ''due regard'' to the court orders. The observations were made while considering a contempt petition filed by an NGO 'Proper Channel'. The case has been posted after a month. Earlier, the court had issued directions including calling paramilitary forces to combat the hartal violence.

AJ: Assembly Speaker K Radhakrishnan said the seventh session of the 12th Kerala assembly mainly to discuss and pass finance bill for 2008-08 would begin here on Monday. There would be 23 days sittings and the session would end on July 24 after passing the finance bill, Radhakrishnan told reporters. Thirteen days would be devoted for discussion on grants of various departments, he said. The assembly would also pass the Kerala Coir Workers Welfare Cess bill, he added.
A committee has been constituted with members from all political parties to discuss ways to improve the quality of functioning of members of legislature.

AJ: Five persons were killed and six others injured when the ambulance in which they were travelling rolled down into a river at Thottinpalam on the Kuttyadi Pass.
The incident occurred when the ambulance carrying the dead body of Vijesh, who was working as a wielding employee in Bangalore, lost control and fell into the river after hitting the railings of a bridge in Pattiyatt near Kozhikode. Those dead have been identified as Dasan of Kallachi, his wife Anita, aunt Leela, Vijeesh of Narikkatteri and Shinoj. Those injured have been shifted to the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital and condition of Vinu, brother of Vijesh, is stated to be serious. The dead and injured were accompanying the body on its way to Vijesh's home in Kallachi in the district

AJ: Revenue Principal Secretary, Nivedita P Haran filed a fresh affidavit in the High court blaming the state government and Chief Secretary for filing an affidavit, which she said was not 'factual'. The Revenue Secretary had filed a review petition last week stating that since she did not receive the Advocate General's instruction in writing on time, she had to implement the cabinet decision of taking possession of the golf club. Reiterating her stand in the review petition in the affidavit last week, Nivedita, who filed another affidavit, also questioned the government's propriety in deputing an under secretary of the law department, who had no personal knowledge of the contents of the conversation between her and government pleader, to file the affidavit against her.

The under secretary had filed the affidavit stating that Nivedita's affidavit was 'incorrect' and had denied the allegation that she had requested the senior government pleader to give written intimation of instructions of the Advocate General. Asserting that the averments in the affidavit filed on behalf of the Chief Secretary are based on hearsay and which are not true to facts, she said a person is competent to swear an affidavit only on matters he has personal knowledge.

AJ: Opposition leader Oommen Chandy blamed the police for crossing the limits while referring to their brutality towards the KSU activists, who staged a peaceful march to the secretariat for some reasonable demands. The police brutality cannot be justified in any way, Chandy said.  The government is implementing one law against the KSU and another against the SFI. It is shameful to say that a case has not been registered against the SFI who attacked the police. With this incident, the people have lost faith in the police, said Chandy.

The government has failed totally in handing the self financing college issue and the Justice P A Mohammed Committee should be dissolved. He said the LDF Government was trying to divert attention from its "failure" to arrive at a just agreement on fee structure in private self-financing colleges. The government should be ready to give scholarship to students in self financing colleges, who gained admission in merit seats, demanded Chandy.

AJ: The cabinet decided to lift the ban on recruitment of staff in aided colleges as per the recommendation of a high-level committee constituted to look into the matter. Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan said there were 642 posts vacant now and postings would be made to those which were not stayed by state high court in connected cases. The court had stayed filling up of 200 posts.

The cabinet decided to appoint P Salim, IAS of Bengal cadre, as the general manager of civil supplies. V Gopinath, IFS, has been appointed as the lottery director. Rathan Khelker, IAS has been chosen as the director of the IT Mission.

AJ: Well-known Malayalam poet Narayanan Nair popularly known as Pala Narayanan Nair died at a private hospital, due to old age. He was 97 and is survived by wife, two sons and two daughters. Nair, who had contributed largest number of poems to Malayalam literature. He was born to Keepallil Sankaran Nair and Parvathy Amma in 1911. He was a teacher by profession but later joined the military service. Among his numerous poems, Amritakala was a masterpiece and Keralam Valarunnu was another outstanding poem. The laurels he received included Vallathol Puraskar (1991), Fokana Kerala Ganam Award (1992), Ulloor Award (1999), Ezhuthachan Puraskaram (2000) and Mathrubhoomi Puraskar (2002). The body will be cremated today.

AJ: The Kerala Bus Operators Federation warned that they would go ahead with the proposed indefinite strike from June 24, if the Government did not consider their demands favourably. Talking to reporters after a meeting with Transport Minister Mathew T Thomas, Labour Minister P K Gurudasan and Industries Minister Elamaram Kareem, Federation Chairman A K Abdulla said the ministers failed to give an assurance regarding their long-standing demands, including revision of students' concession. ''The meeting is not satisfactory as the Ministers failed to give an assurance to our genuine demands. We have no other option, but to remain off the roads from June 24, if the Government failed to give an assurance,''.

On the Government move through a supplementary notifiction not to renew permits of private buses in 31 routes, enabling the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation to operate in these routes, Abdulla said such a move would crush the backbone of the industry. Regarding concession to students, he said the present concession rate was fixed in 1964 when the diesel price was just 72 paise per litre. The concession could be provided only to eligible students and on the lines of their economy.

AJ: Karthika Thirunal Lakshmi Bai Thampuratti, senior most member of Travancore Palace passed away at the Sree Chithira Thirunal Hospital in the capital city this morning. She was 92. She was hospitalized a few months back due to old age ailments. Her eldest son Avittam Thirunal died at a very young age. A witness to tumultuous times, Lakshmi Bai had passed through several historic events including the end of the royal rule in the princely state of Travancore when the country became independent on 1947.

She was the sister of the last princely ruler of Travancore Sree Chithira Tirunal Balarama Varma and the present head of the family Uthradam Thirunal Marthanda Varma. Her husband Col Godavarma Raja, who was a reputed patron of sports, died in 1981. Born in 1916 as daughter of Ravivarma Koithamburan and Rani Sethu Parvathibai, the princess was interested in music, literature and sports. She was well versed in Sanskrit, English and French.

She was the first member of the royal family to visit a foreign country breaking age-old ban on crossing the sea. She was also an expert horse rider, but had to retire from her favourite sport after an accident. People from all walks of life gathered at Kottakkakam palace in the city to pay her last respect. Her body will be cremated with full state honours at the premises of Kowdiar Palace at 3 pm this evening.

AJ: The Kerala High Court dispensed with the personal appearance of Principal Revenue Secretary Nivedita P Haran in court, but directed her to apologise for violating its orders in the Thiruvananthapuram Golf Club case. When the Revenue secretary's review petition, seeking dispensation of her personal appearance in the court on June 9 came up before Justice S Sirijagan, the court agreed to it, however, came down heavily on the manner in which she acted in the case. The court said she could have expressed regret for violating its order, but had not done so. Meanwhile, the secretary's counsel agreed to submit another affidavit expressing her regret. The case has been adjourned to June 10.

The Revenue secretary had stated that there was 'lack of proper communication' from Advocate General C P Sudhakar Prasad and the Government Pleader. On June 2, the HC, while directing the state government to hand over the club back to its management, had criticised the Revenue secretary for taking over it 'disregarding' instructions by the AG, observing that it amounts to 'negation' of the Constitution and 'scant disregard towards the judiciary and AG'.

AJ: The state government slashed sales tax on petrol bringing relief to the consumers to the tune of Rs 1.22 on petrol and 66 paise on diesel. The tax on petrol had been slashed from 29.01 per cent to 26.03 per cent, while that of diesel from 24.69 per cent to 22.49 per cent. With this concession, government is foregoing Rs 322 crore a year. Two days ago the state cabinet had decided to give some relief to the people but kept it abeyance as Finance Minister T M Thomas Isaac is on a foreign tour.The government came under attack from the opposition for delaying the tax cut despite several other states extending this relief to the people hit by the hike in petroleum product prices.

AJ: Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said the government plans to implement a new Police Act in the state by the end of this year. He said the main objective was to make police force people friendly along with ensuring protection and security to the people of the state. The new act would be finalised after holding discussion on the draft at different levels. Government plans to introduce new legislation in the next assembly session and implement the new act by the end of this year. Duty time of police personnel, guidelines to be followed while arresting, recruitment to police force and entrusting an independent agency the process of monitoring the functions of police force were some of the matters included in the draft

AJ: The dawn-to-dusk hartal against petroleum price hike, called by LDF and BJP separately, has paralysed normal life across the state. Buses were off the road and shops remained closed. Two-wheelers and private vehicles were, however, plying. Except a minor scuffle between hartal supporters and police in Nilambur in Malappuram district. The LDF and BJP workers took out separate marches in all major towns, demanding immediate roll back of the hike in prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas.

University examinations were postponed while the Kerala State Public Service Commission decided not to delay its scheduled interviews. However, essential service like milk, electricity supply and hospitals have been exempted from the hartal. All business establishments remained closed in the city. Educational institutions remained closed and government offices worked with thin attendence. The IT sector in the state functioned normally as the companies made arrangements to bring their staff in vehicles.

AJ: Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan said the government will open more research centres across the state to promote science and technology. The Government is keen to open more research centres that will help bolster the standard of science and technology in the state. Achuthanandan  inaugurating the Kerala School of Mathematics, an institution for higher learning, training and research in mathematical sciences, at Kunnamangalam. The School is being set up under the auspices of the State Council for Science, Technology and Environment and efforts would be made to upgrade the institution to an Indian School of Mathematics.

AJ: The LDF in the state has called a dawn-to-dusk hartal in the state today in protest against the steep hike in petroleum prices by the UPA government. LDF Convener Vaikom Viswan said that there was no justification for the current round of increase, which could have been avoided if the government had considered the alternative proposals submitted by the Left parties.

Meanwhile KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala said, the hartal called by the left parties in protest against fuel price hike by the Centre is politically motivated. The fuel price hike will be a burden to the people, but there is no alternative in the wake of steep rise in crude oil prices.

AJ: Women's Commission has asked the state government to take action against parents sending their daughters below 18 years of age to convents to become nuns.
The panel also wanted the age limit prescribed for the women who voluntarily decide to lead an ascetic life and action taken against the parents who forcefully send their daughters to convents. Chairperson Justice D Sreedevi said that this recommendation was being made as there had been complaints of girls being sent to convents without obtaining their consent. Under no circumstances, the parents should compel their daughters to become nuns against their will. The Commission also wanted the family property rights assured for women sent to convents as nuns and some mechanism put in place for rehabilitation of those who were returning from the convent.