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August 2002

Thursday, August 29, 2002

Question Shobhana at the earliest: Padmaja

Thiruvananthapuram: If the Crime Branch wants to question Shobhana George, it should be done at the earliest, said the KTDC chairperson Padmaja Venugopal here on Tuesday.

The investigating agency is making evasive comments through the media that the questioning will be on today or it will be on tomorrow and so on. This has been going on for quite a few days, said Padmaja. She should be questioned at the earliest and listen to what she has to say. Action should be taken if she is found guilty. Or exempt her from questioning. Instead of moving ahead, she is being mentally tortured by making such comments, Padmaja told Manorama.

Thursday, August 29, 2002

12,000 acres of land to be distributed among tribals

Thiruvananthapuram: The government has decided to distribute 12,000 acres of land among the landless tribals within a year. A Cabinet sub-committee meeting presided over by the Chief Minister A.K. Antony approved this here on Tuesday.

In the first phase, 1000 acres will be distributed between September 15 and October 15. And, within October 15, 2003, the entire 12,000 acres will be distributed. The land will be taken from Cheemeni estate of the Plantation Corporation, Chinnakkanal Kannan Devan Hills in Idukki, Sugandagiri, and Pukkod estates in Vayyanad, Peringalkuth in Thrissur and A.V.I.P. in Attappadi.

The government will file a petition in the Supreme Court to get special sanction to get 12,000 acres of the forest land to distribute among the tribals. The meeting was attended by several ministers including K.M. Mani, P.K. Kunhalikutty, K. Sankaranarayanan, K.R. Gaury, M.A. Kuttappan and M.V. Ragahavan.

Tuesday, August 27, 2002

SP all praise for Malayalis

The noted playback singer, S.P.Balasubramaniam, has praised the Malayali for his ability to appreciate art. In a short speech, which he made before his ganamela organised as part of Onam celebrations in the city this evening, he said that the appreciation level of the Malayali was higher than that of the people in other States. Though people usually give importance to their own languages, the people of Kerala enjoyed art irrespective of language. He expressed happiness at being able to participate in the Onam celebrations. He apologised for not being able to speak fluent Malayalam and thanked the Government for having invited him for the ganamela. He started his ganamela with the song `Ilayanila pozhikirathu...'

Tuesday, August 27, 2002

MOU signed to promote tourism

As part of its continuing efforts to promote tourism with private participation,Kerala Tourism signed a MOU on Monday with Far Horizon Projects Pvt Ltd to market traditional festivals of the state in national and international tourism circuit.

Far Horizon,one of leading tour operators,besides marketing festival destinations of state also would set up temporary accommodation at festival venues to provide basic amenities to both domestic and international tourists.

Tourism department have identified some of the major festivals in state like Arattupuzha Pooram,Kalpathi festival,Malayattoor festival and Thrissur pooram for constructions of temporary tents therby giving maximum exposure to such festivals and to attract more number of tourists.

Speaking on the occasion,State Tourism Minister,K.V.Thomas said the proposed project would cost no financial committment on part of government.Department would act as a facilitator and help the Private company in putting up basic facilities.

Thomas said policy of the governemnt was to develop tourism spots with economic self-sufficient capacity for its further growth.

Department has also chacked out a project to develop fIVE "city centres" in state and first such project was inaugurated at Durbar Hall ground in Kochi,he said.

Report of an expert committee that looked into the issues at Kovalam tourist spot was submitted to Minister at the function.

Committee besides recommending for formation of Kovalam Development Authority also suggested various measures including evacuation of unauthorised occupants from beach front, creation of new roads,construction of integrated traffic
terminal,solid waste management system to bring back the old glory of Kovalam.

Tuesday, August 27, 2002

Jacobite Syrian Church welcomes move to settle Church dispute

Malankara Jacobite Syrian Christian Church welcomed the initiative taken by the heads of sister Churches to settle the dispute in Jacobite Church and offered all
possible cooperation for that.

Responding to a letter written by them, Patriarch faction Catholicos of the Chruch Baselios Thomas-I told a news conference in Kochi on Monday that his faction was committed for lasting peace in Malankara Church.

He said rival Orthodox faction opted themselves out of the Church fold and dispute could be settled if they returned to it recognising the Patriarch of Antioch as the Supreme head of the Church.

Varkey Cardinal Vidayathil (Syro-Malabar Catholic Church), Archbishop Cyril Mar Baselios (Malankara Catholic Church), Archbishop Daniel Acharuparambil (Latin Catholic Church), Philipose Mar Chrysostum (Mar Thoma Church) and Bishop K.J. Samuel (CSI) were the prelates who had taken initiative to settle the dispute.

Tuesday, August 27, 2002

Five killed in road accident

Five people including three children were killed and six injured when the jeep in which they were travelling collided with a private bus at Anakkapara, near Vadakkumcherry on Sunday

All deceades are members of same family, belong to Mudappallur in district.

Injured have been admitted in the hospital in Thrissur.

Tuesday, August 27, 2002

Good response to humour project

There has been an impressive response to the humour project of the Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR) with hundreds of rib-ticklers and adages pouring in from different parts of the State.
The KCHR has so far received about 8,000 entries from persons aged between 60 and 82, most of them bearing a flavour unique to the place where they used to be told and re-told. Eightytwo-year-old N. Bhaskara Pillai of Nedumangad in Thiruvananthapuram has sent in as many as 150 sayings from his neighbourhood with the preface that he had not stirred out of his native village except for two years when he served outside the country during World War II.

Sixtyfive-year-old Thankan from Chamakkala in Kottayam district has recorded 62 proverbs, colloquial terms and puzzles drawing upon the Pulaya community's close links to the soil, usages forming part of work in the fields and the songs that women used to sing to relieve the monotony of work from sunrise to sunset.

Sixtysix-year-old T. K. Isaac, a retired Regional Transport Officer, now settled at Mannarkkad in Palakkad district, has sent in a rich collection of proverbs, folk songs, homilies, grandma's tales and even a sample of the late Joseph Mundassery's speech! Language has not been a barrier for him. He has drawn from the songs of the subaltern class and the aphoristic writing in Tamil probably dating back to the Sangam period, and an entire `Parisakalippaattu'.

U.M. Mustafa, editor, Maneesha, published from Thrissur, has forwarded a published collection of well-known and little known adages classified under 98 different heads. The preface to the book hopes that the volume would help its readers to create adages of their own during their journey through life and make these, part of the complex tapestry of human culture.

Sixtytwo-year-old K.J. Santhakumary Amma from Kudukkachira in Kottayam district has contributed several humorous sayings and puzzles to the collection expressing gratitude at having been given the opportunity to hand over to posterity whatever she could gather from her neighbourhood. Akkamma Koshy, a 71-year-old retired headmistress from Kumbalampoika in Pathanamthitta district has sent in nearly 400 adages. Chellamma Koshy (75) from Kuriachira in Thrissur, Mary Kutty (72) from Mararikkulam in Alappuzha and T. Saradamma (68) from Ambalappuzha in Alappuzha have all tried to enrich the project with their contributions.

Pakalur Ajit has sent in the proverbs and usages that his father, a former superintendent with the KSEB, had collected from Wayanad to where he was transferred in 1983. According to Ajit, his father had collected the proverbs and usages going around Wayanad with a folk artiste from Payyannur in Kannur district.

Interesting too is the contribution received by the KCHR from Saraswathy Parameswaran, Indira Nagar, Bangalore. Stating that she was responding on the basis of The Hindu report, she goes on to add: ``I think my role in your novel venture would be like that of `the little annaarakannan in Sethubhadanam''.

The KCHR, which hopes to bring out a reference volume on the oral tradition in Malayalam incorporating these entries, has extended the last date for receiving contributions till September 30.

Tuesday, August 27, 2002

Bank officers to strike work on Aug 29

Over three lakh officers in both public and private sector banks have decided to go on a nation-wide strike on August 29 protesting the "step-motherly" treatment meted out to their demands by government and management, according to Co-ordination Committee of Bank Officers' Organisations.

Addressing a press meet in Kochi on Monday, P V Mathew, its convener,alleged that despite holding several rounds of discussions to solve their long standing demands, government and managements had not taken a favourable decision.

Prior to the one-day strike it was decided to hold dharnas in the evening at Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur and kochi on MOnday and a rally in all districts on August 28, he said.

As a result of the "unscientific" policies followed by government, the banks were facing severe problems, he alleged and added officers who contribute for nation's
development even by working in remote places were being ignored by authorities.

Officers are protesting, among other things, against income tax being imposed on allowances and on other benefits,he said, adding they also demanded that fresh recruitment of officers to reduce the work load.

Monday, August 26, 2002

‘Balan K Nair was not given due respect’

KOZHIKODE: The Malayalam filmdom did not give due respect and recognition to the late actor Balan K Nair, opined noted screenplay writer T Damodaran here on Sunday.

He was addressing a film seminar held on the occasion of the second death anniversary of Balan K Nair.

The late thespian was left to languish in loneliness in his last days. Many of his colleagues neglected this actor who had carved a niche for Malayalam film at the national level.

Damodaran also reminisced that Balan K Nair was a dedicated artiste.

M P Krishan Kurup inaugurated the seminar. Mamukkoya, V P Madhan Nair and K P Sudheera spoke. K S Das welcomed the gathering.

Monday, August 26, 2002

Secretariat frontyard cleared of satyagraha pandals

UNI

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Tourists and passersby got a cleaner and clearer view of the Kerala Secretariat on Sunday as thatched satyagraha sheds erected in front of the imposing structure by various organisations and individuals were removed amid protest.

Revenue authorities and police personnel carried out the exercise following an order from the District Collector, even as a Joint Action Committee formed by the agitating organisations sought to resist the ''cleaning-up'' exercise. Police removed seven of them from the spot amid a slogan-shouting demonstration.

The sheds, which occupied most of the pavement in front of the Secretariat, had become not only an eye-sore but a permanent nuisance as well to pedestrians.

The Government moved in after complaints that some of those occupying the sheds for long were even renting them out for those wanting space for satyagraha. There were allegations about some using the premises as a den for consuming liquor.

Monday, August 26, 2002

'Govt trying to impose Malayalam on linguistic minorities'

KASARGOD: The Karnataka Samithy, Kasargod, has protested against the Government order directing students of the State to take an oath in the school assembly on November 1 that their mother tongue is Malayalam.

The oath-takers, according to the Government order, should also declare that they are proud of Malayalam language and culture and would put in their best effort to improve the language.

The Samithy president B V Kakkillaya and General Secretary I V Bhat told mediapersons the other day that by the order the Government is imposing Malayalam on linguistic minorities.

They said that though the Kannadigas respected Malayalam and other languages, they would not definitely take the oath.

The Samithy leaders said the State Government, on the one hand issued orders to safeguard the rights of the linguistic minorities, and on the other, issued conflicting orders to snatch away their rights.

Kakkillaya and I V Bhat said that though the basic aim of the Government in issuing the order was to ensure the use of Malayalam at all levels of Government transactions replacing English, the authorities take this opportunity to suppress the rights of the linguistic minorities.

The Samithy said it has decided to approach all political parties here to exert pressure on the Government to withdraw the order on taking oath, in respect of Kannada and bi-lingual schools in the district.

Monday, August 26, 2002

Malayala Ratnam award for Jesudas

Thiruvananthapuram, August 24: Noted playback singer K J Jesudas was today presented with the ‘Malayala Ratnam’ award instituted by the capital-based Film Guidance Society.

Kayikkara Babu, society president, presented the award to Jesudas at a ceremony held at the press club hall here. V S Sivakumar, MP, chaired the function.

The award was conferred on Jesudas for his life-long contributions to the field of art, the judging committee said. (Agencies)

Monday, August 26, 2002

CPI-M's protest programme against UDF's 'anti-people' policies

About three lakh CPI-M volunteers would court arrest in the party's ten-day 'fill the jail' protest programme from September 2 protesting "anti-people" policies of Congress-led United Democratic Front government in Kerala.

As a prelude to this programme, a 'massive' campaign will be launched across the state from Saturday. As part of campaign, party activists will hold marches in all panchayats, CPI-M Thiruvanthapuram District Secretary M Vijayakumar told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram.

Volunteers would "lay siege" to district collectorates and Taluk offices from September 2 to 12 and would court arrest. They will refuse bail and the plan was to fill jails of the state,he said.

CPM was launching the stir to highlight their demands including rejection of conditions put forward by Asian Development Bank as part of their Rs 3600 crore loan proposal, urgent steps to save traditional industries such as coir, handloom, and steps to improve law and order situation.

Party followers and top leaders including party state secretary Pinarayi Vijyan would participate in protest programme,he said.

Vijayakumar said agriculture sector was facing serious problems and government was not taking any steps to provide aid to farmers reeling under pressure of price fall of
products.

Referring to worsening law and order situation in state, Vijayakumar alleged that sex rackets, harassment against women, rape and murder cases were on increase in
state during last one year.

Monday, August 26, 2002

Five killed in road accident

Monday, August 26, 2002

Two killed 18 injured in road mishap

E. K. Narayanan, Professor of Physics at Christ College, Irinjalakuda, and his wife Nalini were killed and 18 others injured when the car in which they were travelling met with an accident involving a tanker lorry and a private bus near Kuthiran heights on Thrissur-Palakkad stretch of the National Highway on Saturday.

Seventeen of the injured, all passengers of the bus, have been admitted to a hospital in Thrissur.

Prof. Narayanan who is 48 was a former General Secretary of Kerala Sasthra Sahithaya Parishad.

Monday, August 26, 2002

Tribals hold court; indicts Kerala Govt

Under the watchful eyes of sturdy tribals sporting bows and arrows in their `Z' category diction, a unique grand tribal court has indicted the Kerala Government and its Forest Department for their present plight.

Witnessed by thousands of tribals drawn from across the State, the 60-member jury, in Mananthavady on Saturday, chargesheeted the Government and asked the men to ''enforce'' its verdict to forcefully acquire land promised by the Government to them.

''The children of forest were evicted from their traditional land. We have lost our rights on forest resources while the vested forest areas are freely given to start resorts,'' the court noted. Reading out the verdict, Adivasi Gothra Mahasabha leader C K Janu, asked the supporters to acquire land after October 16 as the Government had backtracked on its promises.

The unique court was held jointly by Gothra Mahasabha and Adivasi Dalit Action Council with 39 tribal groups, drawn from over 2000 settlements in the State, taking part in the grand function. The jury had 20 women as members.

It was the second time that the tribal court was held in the history of the Sabha with the first having held to call off the agitation before the State Secretariat which paved the way for an agreement on October 16 last, to distribute lands to all those landless tribals in the State.

The court said that it had identified 1,80,000 acres of non-forest land to be acquired. It also gave permission to settlements to launch agitation to protect their rights on forest resources.

Though the Government began distributing lands from January one last, the implementation did not make any progress. Hence the agitation will resume after October 16 next, according to the Sabha leaders.

Besides Ms Janu, leaders like M K Narayanan, M Geethanandan, S Binu and Kattikulam Subhash also addressed the session, which culminated in a rally.

Monday, August 26, 2002

Kerala regains title amid controversial circumstances

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Aug. 25. The host Kerala won a close battle against Tamil Nadu and regained the overall championship as the 14th Air Tel-South Zone junior athletics meet concluded at the Agriculture College ground, Vellayani, on Sunday.

However, much of the glitter behind the home team's success was lost when the entire Tamil Nadu contingent staged a walk out from the prize distribution ceremony, alleging irregularities in awarding of points in at least two events.

The Tamil Nadu protest was based on two instances: the failure of the recorders to award Tamil Nadu its due share of points in the girls' under-20 triple jump wherein its entrant V.S. Sureka had finished fourth and the decision of the organisers to recognise the boys' under- 20 pole vault as a medal event despite the competition attracting only two entries.

The original entries from Tamil Nadu for the triple jump event were from K.N. Priya and Anju Kumari. And due to the absence of Anju, Sureka was rushed in to compete only after the event had got underway with the sanction of the organising secretary but without proper notice to the recorders.

Sources said this was the base for all the flutter as the computer programme used by the recorders had rejected Sureka's name when the results were keyed in. The proceedings by then had got over and Kerala at that stage had a clear lead of five points over Tamil Nadu.

But, acting positively on the protest lodged by the Tamil Nadu contingent, the AAFI Technical Delegate, M.J. Viswanath, asked for the addition of three more points to Tamil Nadu which brought down Kerala's lead to just two points (711.50 points against 709.50 points tallied by its rival).

It was at this stage that the Tamil Nadu contingent pointed out the `erroneous' inclusion of the results of the boys' under-20 pole vault in the points table and asked for its exclusion.

The delay on the part of the Technical Delegate to come out with a decision against their second demand infuriated the Tamil Nadu officials who were quick to point out that the same event in the absence of three competitors was deemed only as a trial in Bangalore last year.

Finally, the sordid drama came to an end only after Mr. Viswanath got in touch with the AIFF secretariat in New Delhi over telephone and was told to include the pole vault results in the compilation of the points table, since the event had been already held. Kerala, eventually, was declared the overall champion and Tamil Nadu second, ahead of Andhra Pradesh, which had a tally of 511 points.

While the whole controversy left a bad taste, there were 15 new meet records that the hectic final day produced. Kerala, besides the overall championship, also claimed the girls' team honours, while Tamil Nadu took the top spot in the boys' section.

The results (all finals):

Boys: Under-20: 200m: 1. Vilas Neelagund (Kar), 2. R.B. Venkateshwaran (TN), 3. M.R. Suresh (TN), 21.9s New Meet Record (Old record - 22.0s, Oommen Thomas (Ker), 1994). 800m: 1. T. Maleppa (Kar), 2. T. David Raj (TN), 3. M.O. Arun Mohan (Ker), 1:57.0. 5,000m: 1. P. Gopi (TN), 2. S. Karippa Talawar (Kar), 2. M. Venkatmallu (AP), 15:55.5. 400m hurdles: 1. P. Shankar (AP), 2. S. Kiran Prasad (Ker), 3. Siva Sundarapandian (TN), 54.50s. Triple jump: 1. S. Gilbert (TN), 2. S. Vincent Vimalraj (TN), 3. K.A. Askar (Ker), 14.50m. Pole vault: 1. Jineesh Kappan (Ker), 2. Sathiya Moorthy (TN), 3.30m. Discus throw: 1. L. Venkateswar Rao (AP), 2. Rajesh (AP), 3. F. Shabeeb Rahman (TN), 40.09m. Hammer throw: 1. Mohd. Intiaz Basha (AP), 2. S. Raghu (TN), 3. K.P. Prajeesh (Ker), 48.26m. 3,000m steeplechase: 1. N. Raghunath (Kar), 2. K. Chelladurai (TN), 3. V. Vivek Kumar (TN), 9:43.7. 10km walk: 1. K. Sree Ram (AP), 2. P.S. Jalan (Ker), 3. S. Venkatesan (TN), 46:40.9 - NMR; (OR - 49:40.1, K. Rajesh Kumar (AP), 1996). Decathlon: 1. Chandra Sekhar (TN), 2. Don John (Ker), 3. S.K. Samender Vali (AP), 5472 points. 4 x 400m relay: 1. Andhra Pradesh, 2. Kerala, 3. Tamil Nadu, 3:23.0.

Under-18: 200m: 1. Mohd. Muddassir (Kar), 2. R. Srikanth (AP), 3. V. Satish (AP), 22.5s. 800m: 1. K. Appa Rao (AP), 2. R. Bangaraiah (AP), 3. K.S. Vijayaraj (Ker), 1:56.5. 5,000m: 1. A. Raja (AP), 2. M. Balakrishnan (TN), 3. Y.R. Darshan (Kar), 16:12.2. Triple jump: 1. K.I. Naveen (Ker), 2. S. Krishnam Raju (AP), 3. M. Ranjeeth (Kar), 15.12m - NMR; (OR - 14.80m, Lakshminarayanan (TN), 2000). Pole vault: 1. K.P. Bimin (Ker), 2. N. Assad Mohammed (TN), 3. Samsher Singh (AP), 4.05m - NMR; (OR - 3.60m, Sijo Sebastian (Ker), 2000). Discus throw: 1. K.N. Shiva Subramaniam (TN), 2. Mohd. Shafiullah (AP), 3. Razeen (TN), 40.50m. Hammer throw: 1. K. Satishwaran (TN), 2. R. Praveen Kumar (TN), 3. Abhilash Joseph (Ker), 54.45m - NMR; (OR - 46.10m, Melvin P. Jose (Ker), 2000). 2,000m steeplechase: 1. Y.R. Darshan (Kar), 2. S. Ajay Kumar (AP), 3. N. Mohammed Kani (TN), 6:19.5. 10 km walk: 1. Abin Joy (Ker), 2. S. Jameel Ahmed (AP), 3. Santosh Reddy (AP), 54:26.9. Heptathlon: 1. K. Shankar (TN), 2. B. Srinivas (AP), 3. S. Moovendran (TN), 5599 points. 4 x 400m relay: 1. Andhra Pradesh (K. Appa Rao, V. Edukondalu, R. Bangaraiah, R. Srikanth), 2. Kerala, 3. Tamil Nadu, 3:23.3 - NMR; (OR - 3:23.7, Kerala, 1996).

Under-16: 800m: 1. P. Trinath (AP), 2. Shivanagaraju (AP), 3. P.K. Allappa (Kar), 2:00.2. 2,000m: 1. P. Trinath (AP), 2. Riyaaz Saad (Kar), 3. Vidya Sagar (AP), 5:43.2 - NMR; (OR - 5:48.8, Loknath M. Lamani (Kar), 2001). Discus throw: 1. T. Ranjith (AP), 2. N. Sathish Kumar (TN), 3. Ubed-ur-Rahman (AP), 41.88m. Hammer throw: 1. Eldose Uthup (Ker), 2. M. Somaiah (AP), 3. Sajid Rahman (Ker), 41.32m. 5km walk: 1. R. Vineesh (Ker), 2. B. Sathyanarayana (AP), 3. B. Srikanth Reddy (AP), 26:45.5. Pentathlon: 1. L. Selvalraj (TN), 2. J.F. Freji Jose (Ker), 3. V. Veeraraghaviah (AP), 3,987 points.

Under-14: Triathlon: 1. A. Sujadeen (TN), 2. Vivek Krishnan Kutty (Ker), 3. G.N. Boppanna (Kar), 2,353 points.

Girls: Under-20: 200m: 1. K.N. Priya (TN), 2. G.D. Gowramma (Kar), 3. P.S. Ganamol (Ker), 25.6s. 800m: 1. Sinimol Paulose (Ker), 2. Venkat Laxmi (AP), 3. Soumya Thomas (Ker), 2:14.5. 5,000m: 1. S. Ramya (TN), 2. P.R. Renju (Ker), 3. Linu P. Simon (Ker), 19:14.1. 400m hurdles: 1. K.J. Vijila (Ker), 2. Vijayalakshmi (Kar), 3. D. Keerthana (TN), 1:04.5. High jump: 1. P. Mohana Priya (TN), 2. Manju Paulose (Ker), 3. M. Binutha (Ker), 1.63m. Triple jump: 1. V.S. Libiya (Ker), 2. Tincy Philip (Ker), 3. K.N. Priya (TN), 12.31m. Pole vault: 1. V.S. Sureka (TN), 2. Priyanka Jose (Ker), 3. Uthara K. Satheesh (Ker), 2.60m - NMR; (OR - 2.50m, B.S. Preethi (Kar), 2001). Hammer throw: 1. K.B. Sharmila Urs (Kar), 2. Sonia John (Ker), 3. D.V. Kavitha (TN), 36.53m. 10km walk: 1. S. Pavani (AP), 2. Saraswathi (AP), 3. Dhanya C. Mohan (Ker), 51:46.5 - NMR; (OR - 57:01.6, S. Pavani (AP), 2001). Heptathlon: 1. Manju Paulose (Ker), 2. B. Prameena (TN), 3. Salamma Antony (Ker), 4343 points. 4 x 400m relay: 1. Kerala, 2. Andhra Pradesh, 3. Tamil Nadu, 3:59.5s.

Under-18: 200m: 1. K. Aruna Kumari (AP), 2. Iyleen Samantha (AP), 3. K.S. Vanitha Devi (TN), 24.8s - NMR; (OR - 25.0s, Vyjayanthimala (Kar), 1993). 800m: 1. Sherin Thomas (Ker), 2. H.S. Greeshma (Kar), 3. T. Bindu (TN), 2:22.3. 3,000m: 1. K. Gauthami (AP), 2. Jyoti Kolekar (Kar), 3. B.S. Veena (Kar), 10:58.8. High jump: 1. M. Sangeetha (TN), 2. S. Chitra (Ker), 3. Bincy Joseph (Ker), 1.60m. Triple jump: 1. K. Revathy (TN), 3. C.S. Deepa Mary (Ker), 3. S. Chinna (AP), 12.55m - NMR; (OR - 12.30m, V.S. Libiya (Ker), 2001). Discus throw: 1. Arpitha Rai (Kar), 2. Pooja Merita Jose (TN), 3. G. Srikrithi (AP), 34.56m. Javelin throw: 1. S. Saraswathy (TN), 2. B. Kavitha (Kar), 3. Y.V. Sacitha (Kar), 36.02m. Hammer throw: 1. Pooja Merita Jose (TN), 2. Reshma Jabbar (Ker), 3. Arpitha Rai (Kar), 29.40m. 5km walk: 1. C.A. Manjusha (Ker), 2. Surya Mathew (Ker), 3. M. Manjula (TN), 27:47.0 - NMR; (OR - 28:05.8, V. Saraswathi (AP), 2001). Heptathlon: 1. K. Revathy (TN), 2. A. Amudha (TN), 3. Seena Joy (Ker), 3337 points. 4 x 400m relay: 1. Tamil Nadu, 2. Kerala, 3. Andhra Pradesh, 4:03.5.

Under-16: 800m: 1. Dona Thomas (Ker), 2. R. Mahalakshmi (Kar), 3. Remyamol Devasia (Ker), 2:24.9. 2,000m: 1. S.R. Bindu (Ker), 2. T.D. Sowmya (Kar), 3. R. Ashwini (Kar), 6:39.0 - NMR; (OR - 6:51.1, B.L. Bharathi (Kar), 1998). High jump: 1. P. Divya Priya (TN), 2. Lindamol M. Rajan (Ker), 3. Kavya Muthanna (Kar), 1.55m. Shot put: 1. S.G. Greeshma (Ker), 2. Anicham (TN), 3. V. Sushma (AP), 10.35m. 3km walk: 1. Jomol Joseph (Ker), 2. S. Varalaxmi (AP), 3. Silby Sabu (Ker), 15:18.7 - NMR; (OR - 15:50.4, S. Pavani (AP), 2000). Pentathlon: 1. Remyamol Devasia (Ker), 2. K. Saranya (TN), 3. Y.K. Minty (Kar), 2,357 points.

Under-14: Triathlon: 1. Jeena Monisha (TN), 2. Liksmy Joseph (Ker), 3. N.R. Niharika (Kar), 1749 points - NMR; (OR - 1303 points, Bhavy Urs (Kar), 2001).

Saturday, August 24, 2002

Suspension was to silence 'I' faction workers: Jayan

PTI

KOCHI: Jayan Puthenpurayil, INTUC(I) Ernakulam district secretary, who was suspended from Congress on Thursday, on Friday alleged that the suspension was a pre-planned move to silence the workers owing allegiance to 'I' faction of the party.

Addressing a press conference here along with Biju C Valluvanadan, a Congress worker, who was also suspended from the party, Jayan alleged the suspension was effected without giving a show cause notice. "I came to know of the suspension through media", he said.

Jayan alleged the suspension was to divert the public attention from the vigilance cases filed against Prof K V Thomas, Tourism and Fisheries Minister, by Biju Valluvanadan and K V job, Congress workers.

He said he would continue as a loyal Congress worker. Jayan Puthenpurayil, Biju C Valluvanadan and K V Job were suspended from the Congress party by the Ernakulam DCC president K P Dhanapalan, on instruction from KPCC president K Muraleedharan on Thursday, for issuing public statements against Prof K V Thomas.

Saturday, August 24, 2002

Church feud set to take turn for the worse

KOTTAYAM: The church feud involving the Orthodox and Patriarch factions of the Malankara Church is all set to take a turn for the worse with the former deciding to take out a procession from here to the famous St Mary’s Church, Manarcaud, which is under the exclusive control of the Patriarch sect, on August 31.

It is part of a reception being planned for the Malankara Metropolitan and Catholicos Baselios Marthoma Mathews II at Manarcaud.

The Kottayam diocese of the Orthodox Church is behind the confrontationist tactics, apparently also to pressurise the government to the hilt. A top-level diocesan meet held on Thursday has decided to accord a reception to the Malankara Metropolitan at the MD Seminary compound here, followed by one at Manarcaud, 7 km away. The plan is to lead the Metropolitan and bishops in a procession of vehicles to the church. It has also been announced that the Metropolitan will offer evening prayers at the St Mary’s Church.

That the Orthodox faction could never match the brute majority of the Patrairch wing in the Manarcaud church and the priests appointed by the former could never officially enter the church in recent times has given serious undertones to the announcement made by the Kottayam diocese. Baselios Thomas I, supremo of the Patriarch group is on record that if someone ‘‘encroaches’’ into churches under their control, it will be repulsed severely.

It may be recalled that the Orthodox Church has been consistent in its grouse that the government is not keen to implement the Supreme Court directives in the church case and is, in fact, favouring the Patriarch group. The Orthodox faction remains virtually stranded after Thomas Mar Dionysios got consecrated at Damascus as Baselios Thomas I and arrived here for a tumultuous welcome in churches under the Patriarch sect’s fold. The Orthodox Church had been pleading with the government for restraining the Patriarch group’s activities, but the government apparently professed a policy of non-intervention, citing the sensitive nature of the rift.

What a few hardliners in the Orthodox Church reportedly want to break now is the perceived notion that they are not capable to take upon the other side effectively. Also, they would like to see whether the government will act if there is indeed a law and order threat.

But a top official of the district administration, confiding to this paper, felt that there won’t be a problem as such. Majority of the faithfuls are peace lovers and they know the reality.

The issue will be settled without any law and order problem, he asserted. As of now, the administration has taken the announcement as only a sort of pressure tactics by some hardliners in the Orthodox group.

Anyhow, it has generated immense curiosity among the faithfuls as well as observers.

Another interesting aspect of the development is the impression gaining around that the Orthodox group, traditional supporters of the UDF camp, is slowly getting disenchanted with it.

Saturday, August 24, 2002

Civic reception to Jagathi on Friday

KOZHIKODE: Malayalam film actor Jagathi Sreekumar will be accorded a civic reception at Sooryakanti Kalyanamandapam, Tali, here, at 4 p.m. tomorrow.

The office-bearers of the Kerala Janasambarka Vedi told mediapersons here on Friday that Sreekumar, who had acted in more than 1,050 Malayalam films, was a nonpareil in the Celluloid world.

‘‘His feat is to be recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records and we are a bit late to honour him,’’ they said.

Jagathi Sreekumar will be presented with a memento and a citation during the function to be inaugurated by Mayor Thottathil Raveendran. Reception committee chairman M Joy Varghese will preside.

Writer P R Nathan will deliver the keynote address. MLAs A Sujanapal and T P M Sahir, District Collector T O Sooraj, City Police Commissioner Sanjeevkumar Patjoshi and KSFDC chairman P V Gangadharan are among those who will attend the function.

Saturday, August 24, 2002

35 palliyodams to take part in Uthruttathi water festival

PATHANAMTHITTA: Thirty-five palliyodams will take part in the Aranmula Uthruttathi water festival to be held in the Pampa on August 26.

Addressing newsmen at the Press Club here on Friday, Palliyoda Seva Sangham president K V Sambadevan said that the festival would begin with a procession of palliyodams at 1 pm.

Union Minister of State for Urban Development O Rajagopal would release the Palliyoda Seva Sangham’s special souvenir on the water festival.

Irrigation Minister T M Jacob would inaugurate the race of palliyodams.

NSS general secretary P K Narayana Panicker, SNDP general secretary Vellappalli Natesan, Travancore Devaswom Board president N Babu, Ramesh Chennithala, MP, MLAs K K Nair, Malethu Saraladevi, Raju Abraham, K K Shaju, Pathanamthitta district panchayat president Mathew Kulathunkal and Alappuzha district panchayat president C S Sujatha would speak.

District Collector P S Enos would hoist the flag marking the ceremonial opening of the festival at 10 am.

Trophies, including those sponsored by the NSS and the SNDP, and cash awards would be presented to winners.

Sambadevan said the Palliyoda Seva Sangham had earlier distributed Rs 10,000 each to palliyodam owners for meeting the maintenance expenses.

KSRTC SERVICE: The KSRTC would operate special schedules from Pathanamthitta, Chengannur, Tiruvalla and Mallappally depots for the convenience of those who come to witness the water festival.

NAVAL DISPLAY: The Southern Naval Command headquarters has made arrangements for the display by naval helicopters during the procession of palliyodams in the afternoon.

Saturday, August 24, 2002

Promoting Kerala with pride

GURUVAYUR: ‘‘They are proud of it, sometimes more than the youth here,’’ says Thekkumuri Haridas on whether the UK born-and-brought-up generation of Malayalees is interested in the Kerala heritage upheld by festivals like Onam.

‘‘They are proud of it because we are proud of it,’’ he said.

Haridas, who owns a chain of restaurants in London and other major cities in the UK and represents the Malayalee entrepreneurs there, says we are the cultural ambassadors of Kerala.

We celebrate our festivals, present our art forms, our food and cultural uniqueness.

Malayalee associations in the UK celebrate Onam with full vigour. And my organisation is trying to unite many of these associations.

We have been conducting week-long Onam celebrations which have become venues for cultural exchange, he says.

We invite artistes from Kerala and their performances are presented to the locals, who enjoy this Oriental mix. Last year film star Mohanlal was present on the occasion. This year’s Onam celebrations commenced on March 3 and Princess Gowri Parvathi Bhai was the chief guest, Haridas said.

‘‘For the last nine years, we have been organising the ‘Kerala Festival’ in connection with Onam. We have two objectives,’’ Haridas explains.

‘‘One is, as usual, to recall, with nostalgia, memories that bind us to our roots and to keep them alive for the next generation. The other, and the prime purpose, is to attract people to Kerala by exposing its beauty and charm. If you have something distinct, you should show it to the world. I can say that we could achieve good tourism promotion through these festivals, sometimes more than what the tourism festivals in Kerala could accomplish. We are also trying to convince the people interested to travel that Kerala is the safest place in the world to tour. Selling Kerala, that is what we are doing. If you are writing about our Onam, do project this – we are committed to promote tourism in Kerala,’’ he avers.

‘‘Our Kerala Group of Restaurants in the UK, in association with Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan will conduct another annual event ‘Festival of Kerala’ from September 27 to October 10. It will aim at uniting the many thousand Britishers and Indians residents in the UK interested in Kerala. Many private organisations in Kerala are extending their cooperation towards these programmes.’’

Haridas, who hails from Guruvayur arrived in the UK 31 years back and started his first restaurant in 1985.

Now he runs four restaurants in London, two in Surrey and each in Twickenham and Lincoln. He is also the director of ‘Kerala Traveller’ at London.

His wife Jayalatha teaches Kerala dance forms in London and sons Visak, Vinod and Nilesh are students.

Saturday, August 24, 2002

Sree Narayana Guru's Jayanthi celebrated in Kerala

UNI

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Communal harmony processions, conferences, floral tributes, community prayers, feeding for the poor and community feasts marked the 148th birth anniversary celebrations of saint-philosopher Sree Narayana Guru on Friday.

The main centres of celebrations were Chempazhanthi, the Guru's birthplace, Aruvippuram, where he sowed the seed for social revolution by consecrating a Siva idol challenging the supremacy of the upper-caste Hindus, and Sivagiri, where he attained maha samadhi.

The celebrations began at Chempazhanthi Gurukulam with the hoisting of the flag by Swami Amruthananda at 8.00 am.

State Labour Minister Babu Divakaran inaugurated the communal harmony procession from Sreekariyam near here to Chempazhanthi in the evening. This was followed by inauguration of a Communal Harmony Conference by Chief Minister A K Antony.

The State Government had given a holiday to its offices and educational institutions in view of the Guru Jayanthi.

Saturday, August 24, 2002

Kai Ethum Doorathu

Director
Fazil
Producer
Fazil
Cast
Shaanu, Nikitha, Revathy,

Fazil the master of contemporary love stories has launched his son Shaanu as the hero in his Onam film Kai Ethum Doorathu. There is nobody like Fazil who can make teenage love stories that work at the box-office. He knows the essential ingredients of what goes into a love story- lovers meeting, romance blossoming, parental opposition and a twist in the climax. Who can forget great love stories like Manjil Virinja Pookal or an Aniyathipravu? So when he launches his son he is bound to take that extra care as he took two years to write the script.

Sachin Madhavan (Shaanu) comes to a hill station where he meets a girl Sushma (Nikitha) and it is love at first sight. Later he comes to know that she stays with her aunt and comes from a broken family. Her father (Siddique) and mother (Revathy) are said to be separated and living abroad. They want to legally get divorced after their only daughter gets married. Sachin loves her deeply but never reveals his feeling, as he comes to know that her parents have fixed her marriage. Both become great friends and they share a very special relationship till Sushma’s mother arrives from Kuwait for her engagement. Sushma however agrees for the marriage provided her father too comes for the function. But her overprotective mother assumes that she is in love with Sachin and provokes her to tell a lie that she loves Sachin. She convinces Sachin also to tell the same lie and help her to unite her parents. They run away with the help of Sachin’s friends and stays somewhere away from home. Slowly Sushma too starts falling in love with Sachin. One day an advocate Gopi (Mammootty in a cameo role) comes to see them and agrees to help them. He tells Sachin the truth that Sushma’s father is dying of some bone marrow disease and his last wish is to see his daughter married to the guy whom he has selected. So he hands over Sushma to her mother. The story is told in a flashback when Sachin is on his way to attend his lover’s marriage as he tells his past to the co-passengers on a ferryboat who gets hooked on to his love story. What happens at the marriage forms the interesting twist in this love story.

Shaanu oozes charm and suits the character of Sachin but he has to work hard on his dancing. The new girl Nikitha who plays Sushma looks too mature for the role. Revathy has charmingly switched over to mother’s role with ease. Mammootty in a cameo role as advocate Gopi is dignified. The songs tuned by Ouseppachen are melodious and suits the mood of the film. Camera of Anandakuttan has etched the director’s favourite Alleppy and Kodaikanal location well. If you are looking forward to see a clean and entertaining love story for Onam go ahead and see the film.

Verdict: Cool Love Story

Thursday, August 22, 2002

Kumarakom boat race

KOTTAYAM Aug. 21. The Sri Narayana Jayanthi celebrations and the Kumarakom boat race will be held on Friday.

This year's celebrations mark the 98th anniversary of the arrival of Sri Narayana Guru to Kumarakom. It was in 1903 that the Guru arrived at Kumarakom to consecrate an idol of Sri Balasubrahmonia Swamy at the Kumaramangalom Temple. In fact, it was after much hesitation that he agreed to consecrate the idol as he was more interested in starting a school at the backward village. Eventually, both the school and the temple were started as per the wish of the Guru.

The arrival of the Guru was a great day of celebration for the people of this nondescript village by the Vembanad lake and they welcomed the sage into their midst, accompanying him in their boats in a procession. To commemorate this event, for the past many decades, a boat race, preceded by a boat procession are being held as part of the Narayana Jayanthi celebrations at Kumarakom.

According to Kumaramangalom Devaswom authorities, arrangements for this year's celebrations have been completed. The day will begin with special pujas at the Kumaramangalom Temple at 6 a.m. This will be followed by Gurupuja and Gurupushpanjali at the Gurumandiram. Arts and sports competitions for children will be held as part of the celebrations during the forenoon.

The Kumarakom boat race will commence at 3 p.m. Prior to this, the grand procession of country boats carrying a portrait of Sri Narayana Guru and the `thidampu' from Kumaramangalom Temple will be held up to Kottathodu, the venue of the boat race. The celebrations are scheduled to conclude at 6 p.m. with a public meeting and distribution of prizes for the winners.

Thursday, August 22, 2002

Onam programmes in Kollam

KOLLAM AUG. 21. The Onam celebrations organised by the district administration in association with the District Tourism Promotion Council will begin tomorrow at the Sopanam Auditorium here.

The first programme would be entertainment by the prize winners of the university youth festivals.

This would be followed by a ganamela by Edava Basheer. On August 25 at 6 p.m. a dance programme by artistes from the Chennai Kalakshethra has been organised at the Municipal Town Hall.

Thursday, August 22, 2002

Onam celebrated

KOZHIKODE AUG. 21. The traditional and the commercial combined to make Thiruvonam a festive affair in Kozhikode city. The general public settled for a quiet celebration at home, with family and friends, after the hectic shopping spree during the last one week.

While the majority preferred to prepare the customary `Onasadya' at home, major hotels in the city hosted the festival lunch. The Taj Residency `Elasadya' with 21 items replete with `aviyal', `upperi', `pachadi'and `payasams' was priced Rs. 150. Reckcy Francis, Resident Manager, says that the lunch is being served on August 21 and 22.

The Operations Manager of Malabar Palace says that their `take away' payasam and `puliyinchi' kits are a great hit. "This year, the response was good and we could not meet the customers demand.'' The hotel served the Onasadya on August 19.

As usual, Thiruvonam day witnessed long queues at the IMFL liquor outlets, even as the padayatra launched by the Kerala Madya Nirodhana Samithi from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram entered the district.

The city had virtually been flooded with melas and footpath sellers showcasing a wide variety of items from handicrafts to textiles and saris.

The economic glut and non-payment of bonus by many firms did put the celebrations on a low key for some sections of society.

However, there was no perceptible fall in sales at exhibitions and in commercial arcades with the tendency by consumers to go in for the less expensive items.

At many of the exhibitions, the sales crossed the professed targets.

The vegetable and flower market experienced hectic buying. Since Atham, the flower market has looked up, with cartloads arriving from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Make-shift stalls did brisk business, making the effort of laying a floral carpet less laborious.

The demand for flowers peaked this year with more number of organisations holding flower carpet contests.

While the District Tourism Promotion Council launched a cultural fete from August 19 to 22, to provide a cultural ambience to the festivities, folk art forms such as `onakkali', besides traditional archery contests, made an appearance at many places.

Thursday, August 22, 2002

PCC chief suspends Leno Jacob

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Aug. 21 . The axe has fallen on Leno Jacob, protagonist of the sub- plot in the fake document charade involving the Tourism Minister, K.V. Thomas.

Mr. Jacob, Ernakulam DCC general secretary and block president of the party, was today placed under suspension by the KPCC president, K. Muraleedharan, for telling the media that Mr. Thomas had masterminded a highly defamatory pamphlet against him when he contested the by-poll to the Ernakulam Assembly constituency.

This comes close on the heels of the claim of a Kochi-based industrialist, who was once reportedly close to Mr. Thomas, that the Minister was behind the fake document being touted against him and that he did it to divert attention from the vigilance case against him. Mr. Jacob has been asked to show cause why further action should not be taken against him.

Mr. Muraleedharan has constituted a three-member committee consisting of K. P. Kunhikannan, KPCC general secretary, J. Joseph, KPCC joint secretary, and K. P. Dhanapalan, Ernakulam DCC president, to look into the complaints against Mr. Jacob and submit a report.

Mr. Muraleedharan told our Kozhikode correspondent that Mr. Jacob's statement, which surpassed all boundaries of discipline, had tarnished the party's image. He warned of similar action against whoever made public statements which would put the party in a spot. He added that the guilty in the fake document case would be expelled.

The disciplinary action against Mr. Jacob came on the next day of his press conference in which he lashed out against Mr. Thomas. Mr. Jacob had accused Mr. Thomas of masterminding a highly defamatory pamphlet against him when he contested the by-poll to the Ernakulam Assembly constituency.

Mr. Jacob's tirade came as a reaction to Mr. Thomas' statement that he had not complained about the issue, which reportedly took place during the Ernakulam by-poll.

Mr. Jacob, son of the former KPCC president and State Minister, A. L. Jacob, and the Ernakulam Block Congress president, had also complained that he had not got justice from the party leadership despite bringing the issue to the notice of the then KPCC president, Thennala Balakrishna Pillai, and the then Opposition leader, A. K. Antony.

The suspension has caught many in the `I' faction off-guard.

When contacted, the KTDC chairperson, Padmaja Venugopal, the new power centre in the `I' faction, refused to comment on the disciplinary action.

However, Mr. Jacob said that he stood by the facts which he had highlighted at the press conference. The issues involved were well known to all senior party functionaries, he added.

``The KPCC president has the right to take disciplinary action against any Congress worker. As a disciplined party worker, I would abide by the party decision and continue as a loyal Congress worker,'' he said. Meanwhile, it is understood that the KPCC leadership has also decided to take disciplinary action against K. V. Job and Biju C. Valluvanadan, Congress workers from Kochi, who have filed a vigilance case against Mr. Thomas.

The INTUC district general secretary and Block Congress general secretary, Jayan Puthanpurayil, is also on the hit list of the party leadership for his public statements against Mr. Thomas.

The District Congress Committee, it is learnt, would initiate disciplinary action against these three and may suspend them from the party for six years tomorrow. Mr. Jayan, in a statement yesterday, had alleged that it was Mr. Thomas who had forged the documents in the Rs. 336-crore `hawala' case. He had also complained that the Minister was behind the Crime Branch decision to interrogate him in the forgery case.

Thursday, August 22, 2002

Prison inmates celebrate Onam

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Aug. 21. In a welcome break from the bleak jail atmosphere, the Central Prison at Poojappura wore a colourful look today as inmates put their woes behind to celebrate the Onam festival.

The 1,000-odd prisoners housed in the 12 blocks of the sprawling Central Prison complex joined hands with officials to organise the traditional Kaduvakkali, Pulikali and Athapookalams on Thiruvonam day.

The prison also had two celebrity guests who imparted a touch of glamour to the entire celebrations.

The prison authorities had invited Suresh Gopi and Poornima Mohan to participate in the festivities.

Poornima Mohan was vested with the difficult task of deciding the best Athapookalam while Suresh Gopi declared the Onam feast open by gulping down some hot payasam. Balachandran, the manager of the abkari contractor, Manichan, who was convicted in the Kalluvathukkal liquor tragedy case, played the role of Maveli. "Karate'' Farooq, who was convicted in the sensational Kabeer murder case, was the prime mover behind the Athapookalam in front of his block.

The 20-odd women prisoners at the jail gave a presentation of the Thiruvathirakali.

Apart from the Onam sadya, special dishes and sweet meats were served to prisoners for breakfast as well as dinner.

The Superintendent (Central Prison), K. V. John, and the Welfare Officer, Shanawaz, were among those present.

Monday, August 19, 2002

Lay stress on care of sick persons-Mammootty

ALUVA: We should be committed to take care of sick persons with all our might. The sight of patients will remind us about the real meaning and helplessness of our life, said cine superstar Mammootty here on Saturday.

He was inaugurating the Anwar Memorial Pain and Palliative Care Society, here.

The Kerala Action Force, Indian Red Cross Society and Anwar hospital are members of the society which will provide treatment and peaceful atmosphere to terminally ill cancer patients, said Anwar hospital director Dr C M Hyderali.

Dr Suleka will be in charge of the clinic here which will function on every Tuesday and Friday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Similar clinics will function at Angamaly LF Hospital on Mondays and Thursdays and at Paravoor Chaithanya hospital on every Wednesday and Saturday.

K.Mohammedali MLA presided over the function.

Municipal chairman M O John distributed the membership cards of the society.

LF Pain and Palliative Care Society president Dr Tony Fernandez, Thomas George, K S Lal, E.A Shabeer spoke.

Any generous persons can cooperate with the society by becoming a member or friend of the society.

Monday, August 19, 2002

Lack of BJP, NDA partners in State a handicap: Mahajan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Union Information Technology Minister Pramod Mahajan on Sunday conceded that Kerala was handicapped by the lack of presence of BJP or other NDA partners in the State, so much so that there was nobody to push the State's plans even in the Union Cabinet.

Addressing mediapersons at Technopark here, Mahajan said he would do his best to redress the situation. Simultaneously, he said, Kerala should follow up on its Information Technology(IT) policy by aggressively marketing itself.

``Currently, the situation among investors is that they first talk about Bangalore and then inquire about Hyderabad. There is no talk about a third IT destination, though Mumbai figures briefly. This has to change and Kerala with its inherent advantages of high literacy and conductivity can do it'', he said.

Kerala has been adversely affected also because in the last few years the State had taken `sanyas'. ``Political ideologies should not influence policy and development initiatives. Once elected, all focus should be on governance. I am happy that Chief Minister A K Antony is taking the lead, trying to evolve a consensus on major issues,'' he said.

On e-governance initiatives by the Union Government, Mahajan said more than a policy on e-governance, the Finance Ministry is being pressurized to increase the budgetary provisions for computerization to different government departments from 3 per cent to 5 per cent of total allocations or convert this amount into a Central scheme of non-lapsable fund for computerization of Central Government departments.

``We believe in bringing e-governance through info-tech in a big way in the functioning of various departments. What people need is honesty and speed as this translates itself into efficiency and transparency. E-governance helps achieve this. The Centre shares this vision with Kerala and will extend all support'', he said.

However, he conceded that computers have become part of the furniture in many government departments, being maintained as showpieces like well-maintained but poorly-read libraries in many households. ``This has to change.'', he said.

Regarding the Union Government's support to for e-governance initiatives in the State, he said in the normal course the Centre would bear 10 per cent of the cost of Rs 120 crore e-governance initiative. But, with the signing of the MoU, the Centre would extend additional technical and managerial support, he added.

Monday, August 19, 2002

In traditional attire, Mahajan manages to please all

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The info-tech mela here on Sunday featuring Union Communications and IT Minister Pramod Mahajan as the star will be remembered for two things, if not anything else.

One, visiting Kerala on the eve of the State's festival Onam, auguring prosperity and joy, Pramod Mahajan left a lasting impression appearing clad in typical Malayali attire of white mundu and shirt.

The sartorial change drew praise from none other than Chief Minister A K Antony himself. ``He looks a total Keralite, attired in mundu and shirt and visiting us on the eve of Onam festival. In fact, he looks younger, handsome and more Malayali than me.'' Mahajan blushed.

In return, Mahajan, though not an avid Congress fan by any length, did not mince words while congratulating Antony for State's initiatives in IT and for he, along with Kunhalikutty, trying to evolve a consensus polity. He also warmed the Congress cockles when he declared that the real father of IT revolution in India was late Rajiv Gandhi and not TDP supremo Chandrababu Naidu.

``While I congratulate the Chief Minister and IT Minister for their efforts at ensuring that Kerala catches the IT bus, I must tell you that the true father of IT revolution in the country is late Rajiv Gandhi and not Chandrababu Naidu as it is sought to be made out'', he said to a round of applause.

Now, to the flip side. All parties throw up a spoiler and this time round it was the turn of Chirayankil MP Varkala Radhakrishnan of the CPM. As the function at Technopark was running behind schedule, Kunhalikutty put the inauguration of Bhavani facility on a fast forward mode, herding the comperes and asking all to cut short their talk to give Mahajan enough time to complete his address.

In the resultant hurry, Gtech president Ajit Nambissan forgot to mention the name of Radhakrishnan in his address.

This was enough for Radhakrishnan to lose his sense of occasion and he, apart from throwing water on Kunhalikutty's plans, shouted at Nambissan with angry gestures.

``You should know how to respect an MP, if you have to survive here'', Radhakrishnan shouted. He then went on to gesticulate at Antony and Kunhalikutty, saying ``People say you two are taking IT units away from Thiruvananthapuram to Kochi. I will not allow that''. Pramod Mahajan, on his first visit as the Union IT Minister, watched amused. But, Radhakrishnan kept heckling him, tugging at his sleeves, even after he had finished his speech.

Kunhalikutty was quick to apologise to the MP and so did Antony by calling him `Annan' and saying that nothing can happen without his blessings.

But, Mahajan had the parting shot. ``You have seen him in action only now. I have to handle him every day in Parliament. So, I have to greet him before I even greet the Chief Minister,'' Mahajan said before he commenced his address.

There was a roar from the techie and CEO crowd. All had a good laugh and everybody felt vindicated. And guess what ? Varkala Radhakrishnan was also laughing !!

Monday, August 19, 2002

‘Neythukaran’ team honoured

KANNUR: The architects of the critically acclaimed film, ‘Neythukaran’ - Bharath Murali, director Priyanandanan, script-writer N Sasidharan and actress Sona Nair - were accorded a public reception at the Stadium Corner, here, on Sunday.

Speaking at the function CPM State secretary praised Murali’s superb performance in the film.

‘‘Murali immortalised Appa Mestri, the protagonist of Neythukaran, with his performance,’’ he said.

CPM State secretariat member E P Jayarajan presided over the function. Purogamana Kala Sahithya Sangham general secretary P Appukkuttan delivered the keynote address.

Monday, August 19, 2002

Music brings peace: Lohithadas

KANNUR: Arts and music are keeping the society in peace, said Malayalam film director and script writer Lohithadas here on Sunday.

He was inaugurating the Music Therapy Research Centre launched by Kalakendram Trust at Talap here Sunday.

The aim of music and film is to develop eternal love in the minds of the people, although films often had deviated from this, he said.

Behind virtually every movement there is music and without movement there is no sound, he added.

Noted playback singer P Jayachandran inaugurated the ‘Swaramandapam’, a music academy formed as part of the trust led by Malayalam film-music director Kaithapram Damodaran Namboodiri.

Noted actor and National award-winner Murali unveiled the photograph of Swathi Thirunal at the academy.

Swamini Apoorvananda Saraswathi, PR Kumarakerala Varma, Swami Krishnananda Bharathi, Kadannappally Ramachandran, N Ramakrishnan and Kaithapram Damodaran Namboodiri spoke.

Monday, August 19, 2002

'Akampadithoni’ sets off to Aranmula

KOTTAYAM: Resplendent with sweet memories of Onam, the accompanying boat(Akampadithoni) to ‘‘Thiruvonathoni’’ on Sunday set off on its traditional journey from Mangattu Illam, near Kumaranalloor to Aranmula by noon.

Narayana Bhattathiri of Mangattu Illam, accompanied by two rowers, ventured for the auspicious ritual in the ‘‘Akampadithoni’’ after special poojas in the Kumaranalloor Devi temple and a feast at the illam.

The ‘‘Akamapadithoni’’ will end the first day’s journey at Moovadathu Madom in Tiruvalla after traversing the waters through Nagampadom, Chungam, Tiruvatta, Changanassery and Kidangara. The boat will move again by noon on Monday and will reach Aranmula temple in the evening. The boatmen and Bhattathiri will spend the night at the temple satram there.

On Uthradom day, the accompanying ‘‘churulan’’ boat will again start its course eastwards. Narayana Bhattathiri will perform poojas at the Vechur Mana at Melukara near Kozhenchery in the course of the journey.

The team will be received at Puthiyakavu, Ayroor later. Traditionally, the ‘‘Uchapooja’’ at the Ayroor temple will be held only after the arrival of Bhattathiri. The ‘‘Akampadithoni’’ will reach Kattoor afterwards. Special poojas will be held at the Sreekrishna Swamy temple there.

The ‘‘Tiruvonathoni’’, will be ready by then with Onam gifts and food specialities in plantain leaves for ‘‘Aranmulayappan’’, the familiar name of Lord Parthasarathy. With the ‘‘Akampadithoni’’ in tow, the ‘‘Thiruvonathoni’’ will move out of Kattoor by 6.30 p.m. and will reach Aranmula temple to serve the deity with ‘‘vibhavas’’ on Thiruonam day.

Legend has it that inmates of Mangattu Illam, originally belonging to Kattoor, reached Kumaranalloor about one hundred years ago.

Prior to their journey, all belongings were submitted before ‘‘Aranmulayappan’’. The right to accompany the ‘‘Thiruvonathoni’’ in another boat was vested with them after this act.Incidentally, the accompanying boat will move with a rebuilt ‘‘Thiruvonathoni’’ from Kattoor this year.

The Aranmula Palliyoda Seva Sangham has refurbished the boat at a cost of Rs 10 lakh recently.

Monday, August 19, 2002

An Onam in Antarctica

KOCHI: On the icy wilderness of Antarctica, a lone Malayali is all set to celebrate Onam.

This Thiruvonam day, Havildar Major V V Gangadharan, member of the 21 Indian Antarctic expedition, will lay a pookkalam of plastic flowers in thelounge of Maitri, India's winter base stationed between the valleys ofSchimacher hill, near the ice shelf of Princess Astrid Coast.

``I'll also use some colours to give it a better look,'' he told this website's newspaper in an exclusive satellite-telephonic interview from Antarctica.

But more than the pookkalam, Gangadharan is worried about the Ona-sadya that he is hosting for his 24 colleagues from all over the country and five Russian scientists in the Maitri neighbourhood.

``It won't be a full-fledged feast. We'll have to do with frozen vegetables. I'm planning to make `kadala payasam', `erisseri', `thoran' and fry `pappadam' to serve with boiled rice,'' says Gangadharan of Thaliparamba, Kannur.

Gangadharan is all thrilled about his truly global Onam. ``Our team leader Dr Lal is also arranging a post-lunch meeting where I will share the Onammyth with other members. I'll also tell them about Mahabali and the Onamfizz back home,'' says Gangadharan, an electrical mechanic with the Army'sElectrical and Mechanical Engineers (EME).

Gangadharan's job in Antarctica is to take care of the vehicles used for the expedition. ``Logistics support is crucial in any Antarctic expedition. All vehicles will have to be kept ready for undertaking any task,'' points out Dr Bhaskar Rao, scientist-in-charge of the expedition. ``The vehicles work on solar batteries. They are used to transport all materials to Maitri from the harbour which is about 300 km away,'' says Dr Pandey, director of the National Centre for Antarctic Ocean Research, Goa, which monitors the expedition. ``I also have to ensure hassle free supply to the base. We have huge generators and solar sources. I also go with the convoys,'' says 33-year-old Gangadharan, who will miss his favourite sweet delicacy Adapradaman this Onam.

``For me, it will be the third Onam when I'm away from my family. But Onam in Antarctica is a once-in-a-lifetime celebration,'' he says.

Gangadharan is only sad that he is not having any new clothes except an unused `thorthu' as Onakkodi. ``I couldn't get anything for my family also as the selection to the expedition came through suddenly. But I'll definitely call my wife Shalini and daughter Akshaya to wish them a happy Onam,'' he says.

Gangadharan has fallen in love with the continent of extremes. Life at Latitude 70S and Longitude 11.44E, is not easy. ``The wind speed sometimes goes up to 60 km/hr. There is no sign of life except penguins. But there isa mystic charm shrouding this land of blizzard,'' says Gangadharan. A real challenge for Mahabali this year, who has to trek all the way south to bless this one soldier-praja.

TALIPARAMBA: And as Gangadharan prepares for the Onam at Antarctica, his wife Shalini and three-year-old daughter Akshaya are yet to get into the celebration mood at the `Valiya Veetil' in the remote village of Keezhattur.

Only the occasional e-mail or satellite telephone messages from the icy continent bring moments of joy and jubilation to this house.

Incidentally, not many in the neighbourhood know that Keezhattur has an Antarctic connection and that a jawan from their native village holds the rare distinction of being part of a prestigious year-long mission.

``We hadn't planned any thing for Onam. It was too early for Onam planning when we moved to Rajasthan five months ago. Then suddenly he got selection and left for Antarctica,'' says Shalini.

Akshaya also misses her father. But the mother and daughter light up when you mention that dad would be back well in time for next Onam with colour pictures of playful penguins and some fairy tales from the land of the Midnight Sun.

Monday, August 19, 2002

Onam week celebrations from Monday

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: This year’s Onam week celebrations will begin on Monday.

According to an official statement here on Modnay, Tourism Minister K V Thomas will formally inaugurate the celebrations at a function to be held at Nishagandhi Auditorium at 7 pm.

Cultural Affairs Minister G Karthikeyan would preside over the function. Cooperation Minister M V Raghavan and Mayor J Chandra would attend the meeting, the statement added.

Monday, August 19, 2002

Viyyur Central Jail employees gang rape Nagaland woman

Viyyur Central Jail employees gang rape Nagaland woman

PALAKKAD: A letter received by Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan from the inmates of the Viyyur Central Jail has brought out gang rape of a Nagaland woman who was unfamiliar with Malayalam and had gone to see her son, Biju, who was lodged in the jail in connection with a petty theft case.

Disclosing the details of the letter to mediapersons at the district committee office of the CPM here on Sunday evening Achuthanandan said that K.K. Kamechu, a woman from Nagaland, had married Purushothaman of Thekkekattil Veedu at Karuvatta near Haripad. The family who resided in Nagaland used to come occasionally to her husband’s house at Haripad.

Achuthanandan said that the letter was received by post in the address of the Opposition leader on Saturday.

The letter states that K.K. Kamechu had visited the Viyyur Central Jail on July 14 last to meet her son, Biju (Registration Number 8914), who was lodged there. On reaching the jail since she could neither speak nor read Malayalam Kamechu asked two jail wardens Vincent (No 23) and Ananthakrishnan (No 66) as to which cell her son was lodged and permission to see him.

Vincent and Ananthakrishnan on the pretext of helping her out, took Kamechu to quarters No 9 of the jail where they resided. After molesting her allegedly Vincent and Ananthakrishnan kept her in the quarters throughout the night and another six employees of the jail was also reported to have done the same to her subsequently.

Achuthanandan said that the letter also says that after the incident K.K.Kamechu has failed to reach her husbands house at Karuvatta in Haripad even after one month and four days. The inmates of the jail in the letter suspect that those behind the crime would have murdered the woman to hush up the crime. Moreover, the letter states that the woman was threatened with dire consequences including the murder of her son if she revealed the incident to anyone.

The Opposition leader said that immediately on receiving the letter he had asked Haripad MLA Devakumar to enquire into the incident and locate the house of Purushothaman. He had also asked the MLA to provide the details of the address in Nagaland so that inquiries about the missing woman could be made there.Achuthanandan said that he would write to Chief Minister A.K.Antony on the issue of the missing woman after obtaining the full facts of the case.

He said that the rate of crime and atrocities on woman were increasing with every passing day and it is the belief that the culprits would be protected by the powers-that- be which has prompted them to indulge in such acts. During the period of LDF Government when a Minister reportedly misbehaved and harassed a woman IAS officer he was promptly dealt with which showed the difference in approach.

Achuthanandan said that in the Congress rule instead of governance what was going on was the factional feud. While Karunakaran was issuing threats to the Government in his eagerness to protect MLA Shobana George and Minister Shankaran, A.K.Antony on his part was bent upon protecting his group people like Dr M.A.Kuttapan and K.V.Thomas. The war of attrition between various groups in the Congress has led to the increase in the rate of crimes and police excesses.

Sunday, August 18, 2002

Puthooram Puthri Unniyarcha

'Puthooram Puthri Unniyarcha', which is an adaptation of a story taken from the annals of the Vadakkanpaattu, the ballad-type folklore of the Malabar, is a film that fails to impress beyond a certain limit. It seems that inspite of the presence of stars like Vani Viswanath and teenage sensation Kunchacko Boban, the film fails to draw people to the box office. Vani Viswanath is OK as the fighting and dashing lady Unniyarcha. But her somewhat masculine figure does not suit the songs and dances.Devan is fine as Chandu while Siddique does a good job of Aromal. Kunchacko Boban does not seem the right person to do the role of Aromalunni and even elicits occasional booing from the part of the audience. Captain Raju is well cast as Kannappa Chekavar. The songs in the film, tuned by Usha Khanna and penned by Yusuf Ali are good, but the visualisation of these songs is not up to notch. Technical aspects, except perhaps cinematography by Ramachandra Babu, don't deserve much mention. The main problem with the film is that it is just like those umpteen films that have already been made based on the Vadakkanpaattu.

Storyline

Unniyarcha, the bold and beautiful daughter of Kannappa Chekavar of Puthooram Veedu (one of the famous households mentioned in the Vadakkanpaattu), is a great fighter too (the Chekavars mentioned in the folklore are Samurai-type warriors who were trained in martial arts and took up fighting as their profession). She is betrothed to her cousin Chandu during childhood. But as she grows up, she begins to develop an aversion towards him. Even Unniyarcha's brother Aromal does not like Chandu, who, like Aromal and Unniyarcha, is also a great fighter. Chandu is already jealous of Aromal and on being rejected by Unniyarcha too, he leaves the Puthooram household, where he was brought up by his uncle (Unniyarcha's father). He goes over to the camp of Aringodar, who is an arch rival of Kannappa Chekavar. Provoked by Aringodar, he cheats Aromal during a duel, for which Chandu is called in by Kannappa Chekavar (who still loved and trusted his nephew) to go in as Aromal's second. After this, he even kills Aromal very treacherously. Years pass by. The next generation - Unniyarcha's son Aromalunni and Aromal's son Kannappanunni - set out to avenge the death of Aromal.

Sunday, August 18, 2002

Sundari

Here comes T K Rajeev Kumar with an intriguing story of a Sundari pretty girl of a remote village who becomes Miss world. She was an ordinary girl. She gets the rare chance of representing India in the Miss World competition. Now she has changed. The village has also changed. Just because it happened to be the birthplace of a celebrity. The village has lost its anonymity and calmness.

Director Rajeev Kumar has followed this subject with his imagination. Rajeev Kumar's Sesham has been selected as the best feature film for the Kerala state film awards 2002. He is innovative in selecting themes for his films.

Kakkathuruth is tiny village surrounded by water. Yet Sundari reached out. She is the daughter of Sasankan a soldier. She goes to the city. When she joined the college she was just an ordinary girl with all the innocence and simplicity of the countryside. A half sari and the traditional top had made her an extraordinary beautiful girl. All the attire in the modern city could not beat her to the back row. Yet she was scoffed at by the city bred boys and girls. However she is unaffected by the remarks. She has her attention concentrated on a specific goal. She has no time to listen to the crap.

It was when a multinational consumer company came out with a promotional scheme for marketing their soap. Buying three cakes of their toilet soap would make any body eligible for entering preliminary rounds for Miss World competition!

A group of students sent in an application in Sundari's name. It was their chance to make fun of Sundari. But what followed made all wonder stuck. Luck lifted Sundari to dizzying heights. To Sundari It really became an entry point for Miss World competition. She was chosen to represent India in the contest.

She became the center of everything in Kakkathuruth. Media people combed the village with cameras. It was all Features and photo stories. Kakkathuruth enjoyed the electronic drama in the TV channels. There were executives from multinational and local business groups to enter in to contracts with her. The entire village has adapted to the modern ways of living.

But the serenity is lost in the village.

A village lad Kumaran who likes Sundari from his childhood days was noticing the changes that were taking place in Kakkathuruth. His mind did not digest the changes that were taking place. Sundari also likes him. But the present circumstances took everything off course to a new direction. It creates problems.

T K Rajeev Kumar had conceived the theme in a light humorous way slowly changes into one of serious nature.

Geethu Mohan Das who did the role of the documentary filmmaker in Sesham is portraying the character of Sundari in this film. It is Anup a new actor who plays the role of Kumaran. Jagathy Sreekumar, Jagadeesh, Maniyan Pilla Raju, Rajan P Dev, T P Madhavan, P Balachandran, Nandakumar, Bindu Panikkar, Priyanka, are the other artists in the film.

Rajeev Kumar himself has written the script for the film. Rajeev Ravi handles the camera. Sarath scores music. Art direction is by Latha Rajeev Kurien. Jayasankar of Appu cinema creations produces this film and the shooting is going on in Karunagappally and Quilon.

Sunday, August 18, 2002

Samyuktha rejects Kamalhasan's film

Samyuktha Varma, who rejected Rajnikanth's Baba, is in news again. This time for refusing a Kamal Hasan's movie. Samyuktha is busy completing her earlier commitments before tying the knot and this is why she was supposed to have rejected Baba. As for Kamal's movie, Nape Siam, it is the compulsory kissing scenes in his movies that she dreads, we were told.

How many actresses today would do something like that?

Sunday, August 18, 2002

Kavya! the biggest sensation!

Kavya Madhavan has become the biggest sensation with the super success of Meesa Madhavan. Everybody is appreciating her performance in the film and this Neeleswaram born girl is the hottest property in Malayalam today. In Tamil her debut film Kasi with Vikram was also a big hit. Now she is doing En Mana Vaanil, the remake of her superhit film Ooma Penninu Uriyada Payyan in Tamil which is produced by Oscar films, the biggest banner in Tamil and is sure to open new doors for this girl. She is also being approached to do the remake of Meesa Madhavan in Tamil with Vikram once again.

What is it about Kavya that is making everyone root for her? The answer is her down to earth behaviour, girl next-door image and screen presence. She is very cooperative and does not mind to do love scenes unlike other heroines like Navya and Nitya Das. Though her critics say that she is short and plump, lacks glamour and has no dress sense, she has oodles of luck favouring her. After the stupendous success of Meesa Madhavan she is flooded with offers as she is considered a lucky mascot!

Sunday, August 18, 2002

Thandavam

Mohanlal’s big budget Onam release Thandavam has crashed miserably and some theatres in Kerala plan to dump the film even before the Thiruvonam Day (August 21)! On the second day after the release itself the collections started nose diving as the word of mouth spread that the film is lewd and boring. There are far too many sexy scenes that are nauseating and smutty dialogues that would put a Shakeela film to shame. So the lady audience are turning away from the cinema halls.

Mohanlal’s hatchet man Antony Perumbavoor immediately ordered that the introductory scene of the star in the massage parlour along with a few girls and some smutty scenes with Anusri be voluntarily cut from Thursday onwards. Still ladies are refusing to go to the theatres showing the film.

Johnny Sagarika, the producer of the film, will lose at least Rs 2 crores on this disaster of epic proportion.

Mohanlal should really stop doing such characters which could spell doom for his career. Understood he has to retain his fans and so play to the gallery, but does he succeed in achieving that aim at least? Mohanlal ofcourse does a great job. All the others in the cast like Saikumar as Shankardas, Nedumudi Venu as Swaminathan, Manoj.K.Jayan as Dasappa Gounder look bored with their roles. One wonders why at all Shaji Kailas had to bring in Kiran from Chennai to do the role of Meenu, a poorly etched and equally poorly presented character. Sex bomb Mumtaz puts in an appearance and makes the film more unbearable. No wonder, people who have seen the film have started equating it with the Shakeela starrers!

Story Line

Kashinathan, who supposedly runs a resort in town, has with him, a group of youngsters, for all of whom he is sort of an elder brother. Every time Kashi does something daring, he receives e-mail messages and phone calls from a girl, who calls herself his 'achchi', i.e, his wife. Kashi is constantly clashing with minister Shankardas who, courtesy Kashi himself, is forced to resign following a sex scandal. Yes, there is of course the ex-chief minister and senior leader, who runs the State Govt by proxy and supports Kashi in everyway. ( For the umpteenth time Janardhanan, does this part on the screen). Shankardas musters up all his strength to finish off Kashi. In the meantime Swaminathan, Kashi's elder brother, who runs a farmers' cooperative in their village, faces threats from the villainous Dasappa Gounder, who has his own business interests in the village. In the meantime the girl who had been following Kashi with phone calls and e-mails appears before him as Meenakshi alias Meenu, the daughter of the Police Commisioner. With Dasappa Gounder succeeding in killing Swaminathan with the help of Shankardas, the film moves on to Kashi taking revenge and destroying evil forces.

Sunday, August 18, 2002

Monsoon active over Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, After playing truant for most part of the three-month season, the Monsoon gained momentum over Kerala, bringing copious rains to most parts of the state in the last two days.

Heavy rain continued to batter most parts of central Kerala, bringing low-lying areas under water and creating traffic problems in cities and towns.

No casualty or large-scale damage to property or crop has been reported from anywhere, official sources said.

Traffic in Kochi was seriously affected as several vital roads were flooded.

Most central and northern districts had received heavy rainfall since day before yesterday, while a wet spell prevailed throughout the state.

According to the weather bureau here, the current spell is likely to continue for the next two days. (Agencies)

Sunday, August 18, 2002

Idol theft: five held

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM The Rural police have arrested six persons who are suspected to be behind more than 40 burglary cases, including temple theft, in the district.

The accused were identified as Prasanth (20) of Venjaranmoodu, Hashim (33) of Koliyakode, Biju alias "Pandan'' (20) of Vembayam, Latheef (36) of Koliyakode and Asokan (34) of Koliyakode.

The police have recovered two stolen temple idols made of "panchaloha'' from the house of Hashim.

The recovered loot also includes gold and silver ornaments. The SI (Kazhakoottom), Gopakumar, said that gang was arrested in the wee hours of Saturday while they were planning an operation. All were produced before the Attingal Judicial First Class Magistrate court and remanded to 15 days in judicial custody.

Sunday, August 18, 2002

Karunakaran warns State Govt.

THRISSUR The senior Congress leader, K. Karunakaran, MP, has said the situation would worsen if the governing set-up in the State fails to accord due consideration to the party leadership.

He was talking to presspersons at the Ramanilayam Guest House here today.

Asked whether the `I' group was trying to sabotage the Government with the backing of IAS and police officials, Mr. Karunakaran said that on the contrary it was the Government which used the police to `harass' workers. Responding to the question whether these workers were of the `I' group alone, he said that the `harassed' workers belonged to all groups.

"It gives me pain to explain that the performance of the Government for the last 15 months was not satisfactory. Party workers and the people are disappointed at the performance. The Government and party leadership should work with mutual understanding for solving the problems of the people," he said.

Antony declines to comment

UNI writes from Aluva: The Chief Minister, A K Antony, today appealed to journalists not to try to drive a wedge between him and the senior Congress leader, K Karunakaran.

When his reaction was sought on Mr Karunakaran's reported remark that the UDF Government had failed to solve the State's financial crisis so far, he declined to comment on it. But appealed to the press not drive a wedge between them.

Asked if Sobhana George, MLA, would be arrested for her alleged involvement in the document forgery case, Mr Antony said the police would take the necessary action in the matter.

Sunday, August 18, 2002

Liquor tragedy: notice to 8 politicians

KOCHI The Mohan Kumar Commission probing the Kalluvathukkal liquor tragedy which killed and maimed several persons has ordered issue of notice to eight politicians in connection with the case. They will be asked to appear before the commission on September 4.

The order is based on the detailed hearings the commission had after studying the findings in the diary of the key accused in the case, Manichan.

The following are the politicians to whom the notices are being issued: Bhargavi Thankappan (CPI), Koliakkode Krishnan Nair (CPI-M), M. Sreedharan, Kadakampally Surendran (CPI-M), M. Sathyanesan (CPI-M), Peroorkkada Sadasivan (CPI-M), M.I. Shahnavaz (Congress) and Ajith (Cong.).

The commission's order is expected to have implications on the Vigilance case being pursued against Excise officials who had allegedly omitted politicians from the list of the accused in the liquor cases.

Prohibition activists who had challenged the official action taken in the case had contended that politicians were associated with the illicit liquor scam.

It was in this context that the commission heard the statements of different officials who investigated the case as well as those of the defendants, including close relatives of Manichan, the key accused in the case.

The leads received from the diary of Manichan had led to a lengthy legal battle. The commission had met last week and had reserved the order for today.

Sunday, August 18, 2002

Heavy turnout at Onam metro fair

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Aug. 17. With Onam few days away, heavy turnout is being witnessed throughout the day for purchasing groceries and vegetables in the metro fair set up by the Civil Supplies at Putharikandam Maidan.

Although over a dozen stalls had been set up in the fair ground by Government and private agencies to sell anything from bedsheets to leather bags, long queues could be seen only in front of the Supplyco stalls selling groceries and vegetables.

Some of the women in the queue listed out their grievances to the Civil Supplies Minister, G. Karthikeyan, who inspected stalls. The Minister accompanied by the officials visited the stalls of the Supplyco selling groceries and vegetables.

The restrictions being imposed on supplying certain groceries such as red chilly and the long delay in the stalls were brought to the notice of the Minister. "We have to stand for over four hours in the queue during Onam days to buy groceries. Steps should be taken to open more counters so that those who come need not spend more time,'' a woman told the Minister.

Earlier, addressing a press conference, the Minister said the huge success of metro fairs in five cities was due to the adherence to quality and quantity in the items being sold.

``The intervention of the Civil Supplies Department with the Rs. 50-crore subsidy allocation in the budget had helped to control the prices of the essential commodities. The department is performing the role of a shock absorber,'' he said.

The Civil Supplies Minister said the total sales in the 64 Onam markets set up in taluk headquarters and selected towns till August 16 was Rs. 106.52 lakhs.

The total sale in the district fairs till Friday was Rs. 17.65 lakhs.

Sunday, August 18, 2002

Cong. to launch stir against corruption

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM The Congress will launch relentless agitations against the corrupt practices of the Centre, the KPCC president, K. Muraleedharan, has said.

Inaugurating a dharna organised by the District Congress Committee at the Central railway station here on Friday, Mr. Muraleedharan accused the BJP Government of involving in graft in an unprecedented manner. When the nation is celebrating the 55th anniversary of Independence, it is being governed by communal and corrupt forces, he said.

The Vajpayee Government has become an epitome of corruption. Within a short span of two-and-a-half years, the Government has committed graft to the tune of Rs. 5.5 crores. The coffin and petrol pump scams have surfaced in quick succession. He accused the Government of giving away petrol pumps and LPG agencies to the kin of those in power.

By giving agencies to party members and relatives, the BJP was trying to make the nation a private property of those in power. Now the decision to allot land to RSS and VHP at cheap rates under the guise of providing land to social and cultural organisations has given way to a land scam, he said.

The DCC vice-president, Solomon Alex, presided. V.S. Sivakumar, MP, the MLAs, Thampanoor Ravi, N. Sakthan, and K. Mohan Kumar, the DCC office-bearers, George Mercier and Alphonsa John, and the Kerala Sports Council president, C. Mohanachandran, were among those who spoke.

Tuesday, August 13, 2002

MoU signed for pension, insurance schemes for NRKs

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between ROOTS-NRK Development Initiative, a company promoted by the NORKA Department, and Life Insurance Corporation of India for formulating various welfare measures including pension and insurance schemes for NRKs.

The MoU was signed by Satish Nampoodiripad, chief executive of ROOTS-NRK Development Initiative, and K Vaidyalingam, zonal manager of the LIC, at a function here today in the presence of NORKA Minister M M Hassan and NORKA Secretary Jiji Thomson.

According to the MoU, ROOTS-NRK Development Initiative will act as the corporate agent of the LIC and associate with it to implement various pension and insurance-related schemes.

Speaking on the occasion, Hassan said that Samavayam-2002, a meeting of the Malayalees settled outside Kerala, will be organised in Germany from August 23 to 25.

He said that several welfare schemes and investment opportunities in the State would be discussed at the three-day meet in which representatives from different parts of the world are expected to participate.

Besides Hassan, Education Minister Nalakath Soopy and Jiji Thomson will participate in the meet which was being organised outside India for the first time. More than 500 delegates had already confirmed their participation in the meet.

The Minister said that a proposal for starting a shipping service between Gulf countries and the State would be included in the Global Investors Meet scheduled to be held here in November.

Referring to the decision of the DYFI to organise an agitation against the GIM and the visit of ministers to foreign countries, he said that the CPM was adopting a negative approach towards the development of the State.

He pointed out that the ministers in the previous LDF Government had made several foreign trips to woo investors.

Tuesday, August 13, 2002

Antony misusing police, says Karunakaran

NEW DELHI: Congress leader K Karunakaran on Monday alleged that it was tantamount to directing the police to toe the line when Chief Minister A K Antony was reported to have pointed out that a woman MLA of the Congress party of the Karunakaran group was behind the forgery of the DGP’s letter.

If the Chief Minister had all the relevant records to prove the charge then why was he not taking prosecution measures, Karunakaran asked.

After ordering an investigation, which has not reached anywhere yet, the Chief Minister asserted that there was a political conspiracy to topple his Government. This was equivalent to giving directives to the police as to which way it should go and this was nothing but misusing the police against his opponents, he said.

Karunakaran said that the Chief Minister had not said in Kerala that an MLA of the ‘I’ group was behind the forgery of the letter. Therefore, Antony would not have told Congress President Sonia Gandhi about such a false matter, according to Karunakaran.

He dismissed as trifle and childish the charge made by Antony on seeing a report in the media that there was an attempt to topple the Government.

Karunakaran chose not to reply, for the present, about the allegation that those who wanted a change in the Home portfolio had wanted their heinous acts suppressed.

However, after a few days, it might become necessary to react, he pointed out.

According to Karunakaran, the ‘I’ group loyalists, including Minister K V Thomas, were being harassed.

Tuesday, August 13, 2002

Serene Kerala strikes a chord with soulful music

ALUVA: ``I love associating with the music of Keraka. Its peaceful environment, and culture have really fascinated me,'' says Pankaj Udhas, the ghazal maestro.

Udhas, accompanied by a nine-member team of friends and relatives, arrived from Mumbai by a Jet Airways flight this morning at the Nedumbassery airport. They visited the Aluva Ayurvedic River Retreat here before leaving for Munnar.

The increasing enmity and discord in the society and prevailing friction and conflicts are not congenial for the growth of music which stands for harmony. But the situation would change and a good environment congenial to the growth of music and harmony in society would emerge soon, Udhas hoped in his chat with this website's newspaper.

The controversy over the unholy nexus between the film industry and the underworld is totally confusing as conflicting reports are appearing in the media, says Udhas. The media reports totally unreliable, adds he. ``However, I have no personal experience of underworld gangsters controlling the film industry,'' said Udhas.

The ghazal maestro is happy that the number of ghazal lovers is steadily increasing as a silver lining in an otherwise dark horizon.

Melody will be welcome at all times and Udhas is absolutely sure about this. His mission is to popularise ghazal. ``And I have succeeded in my mission,'' he says emphatically.

He says he could spot many ghazal talents including Pamela Jain, Mohamed Vakkil, Jaswant etc. He admired Beegum Akta and Mehandi Hassan and rated them as the best singers.

His latest album, `Muskhan', a hybid of pop and ghazal, was a big hit, adds Udhas.

Pankaj and his team will spend three days at Munnar and five days at Kumarakom. They will undergo Ayurvedic rejuvenation therapy at Aluva Ayurvedic Retreat. The retreat directors Viswajith and Sindhu and chief physician Dr. P.S. Gopi received Pankaj Udhas and friends at the retreat on Monday morning.

Tuesday, August 13, 2002

15 injured as fishermen clash in Narakkal

NARAKKAL: About 15 persons were injured when two sections of traditional fishermen clashed at Malipuram Chappa beach near here on Monday.

The fishermen of ‘cheru vanchi’ and ‘muri vanchi’ were in dispute over the usage of fishing net.

Cheru vanchi men accused that the workers of muri vanchi were using banned ‘pelagic net’ for fishing.

But the ‘muri vanchi’ fishermen denied the allegation and said that they were using a modified version of their traditional fishing net.

However 150 fishermen of both sections clashed over the issue and 15 persons have been admitted to various hospitals.

Those admitted to the General Hospital include Pradeepkumar, Nandanan, Prasad, Shaji, Kishor and Lindo while Jayan, Murukan, Sunil and Santhosh were admitted to Fort Kochi Government Hospital.

Mani, Saju, Vinod and Jijesh were admitted to Narakkal Government Hospital and Antony to Malipuram hospital.

Narakkal police said they have not yet registered a case even at 10 p.m. in this regard.

Tuesday, August 13, 2002

Murali `short-circuited' norms for pumps: BJP

KOZHIKODE: The Congress-BJP cat and mouse game in the wake of the petrol pump scam took an interesting turn in the State on Monday with the BJP turning the table on the Congress.

BJP leaders pooh-poohed KPCC president K Muraleedharan for wanting to launch an agitation against it for palming off petrol pumps and gas agencies under the table. According to them, Muraleedharan and his father K Karunakaran had been cornering petrol pumps and gas agencies too; and therefore the KPCC president's call for an agitation was akin to the butcher's sermon on non-violence.

Addressing a news conference here on Monday, BJP District president K P Sreeshan and BJP minorities morcha national secretary Baby Ambat said Muraleedharan should be the last man to talk about an agitation in this issue. This, they said, was because the KPCC chief continues to enjoy the benefits from his own oil agency that he got through corrupt means, and the gas agencies that he managed to get in the names of his brother-in-law and paternal cousin.

Reeling out the details, they said it was Muraleedharan, who was then an MP, and his father Karunakaran, then Chief Minister, who together short-circuited all norms and regulations and got the Athira gas agency in Kozhikode for Muraleedharan's brother-in-law Jayanarayanan, in 1994.

``Remember, this agency was originally reserved for applicants belonging to the low economic strata with a monthly income below Rs 4000. And Jayanarayanan belongs to one of Malabar's richest families,'' they pointed out.

The BJP leaders said the father-son duo had not stopped at that. They had employed equally corrupt means to get a gas agency in the name of the son of Karunakaran's elder brother K Kunhirama Marar in Kannur. The two had also given the short shrift to all propriety to corner petrol pumps and gas agencies for some others _ including for a 'benami' of a KPCC office-bearer _ in Kunnamangalam and Ullyeri.

But Muraleedharan and Karunakaran apart, other Congress heavies too were at it, according to the BJP leaders. A close kin of Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker P M Saeed has managed to get a gas agency in Atholi; while Pondicherry Health and Law Minister E Valsaraj has cornered a gas agency in which his wife Aruna Valsaraj has a 42 per cent stake, they said.

That was not all. The BJP leaders said they were in the process of collating information about 18 office-bearers of the KPCC, and another motley bunch of 65 Congressmen comprising KPCC members and district Congress leaders, who have wangled petrol pumps and gas agencies either in their own or in their kin's names _ or in the names of òf 'benamis'.

The BJP leaders suggested that Muraleedharan would do better to launch his agitation in front of all those petrol pumps and gas agencies that Congress leaders have wangled, in all 14 districts of the State.

Meanwhile, Pondicherry Minister E Valsaraj denied in a statement here that his wife had anything to do with any gas agency. He also warned the BJP leaders that he will sue them for defamation unless they withdrew the allegation forthwith.

Tuesday, August 13, 2002

Suryanelli sex scandal victim moves HC

KOCHI: The victim of Suryanelli sex sandal case has approached the High Court seeking to direct the CBI not to harass her under the guise of interrogation in connection with the investigation of the Sr Abhaya murder case, and not to subject her to polygraph test or any other test against her will so as to secure the ends of justice.

On July 18, the Kerala High Court had directed the CBI officer, investigating the Sr Abhaya murder case, to proceed with further investigation on the basis of the information contained in a letter presented in a sealed cover by Deseeya Aikyavedi, Pala. The letter is said to have contained a statement by a person suspected in Suryanelli sex scandal case, which would help to make a breakthrough in the investigation in the Abhaya case.

According to the Suryanelli girl, Ebi J Jose, convener of the Aikyavedi, is a friend of Jose Nedumthakikidi, who has been convicted in the Suryanelli case. Ebi is trying to misdirect the investigation in the Sr Abhaya case or to arrange defence for the accused in Suryanelli case.

The girl contended that she was not acquainted at all with the late Sr Abhaya. She did not even know where the Pious X Convent is and where Sr Abhaya was murdered.

During the period of Sr Abhaya's murder, the petitioner was a 6th standard student in Mount Carmel Convent School, which was more than 5 km away from Pious X Convent.

Tuesday, August 13, 2002

Onam menu on IA flights

KOCHI: Indian Airlines will serve special Onam menu on all its domestic and international flights from Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram on August 21.

The menu would be served in the traditional way on banana leaves. A specially designed menu card to mark the occasion would also be placed on meal trays, said an official press note of the airlines here on Monday.

Tuesday, August 13, 2002

Cell-chatting while driving may cost you dear

KOZHIKODE: Be careful the next time you cruise the roads one hand on the steering wheel, and the other holding the cellphone to the ear. The city police will soon be looking to haul people doing just that.

‘‘To start with, we will only ‘advise’ people using cellphones while driving, to stop doing that. If they get a call while driving they should either park and talk, or cut the call. If our ‘advise’ doesn’t work, we will begin booking them for dangerous driving,’’ Inspector General of Police (Northern Range) Venugopal K Nair told The New Indian Express.

The cops believe that chattering on mobile phones while driving is a dangerous distraction. Police sources say there is no need for new laws to book the culprits. It already runs parellel to offences such as using earphones to listen to music while driving, which many people don’t realise is an offence.

The idea is part of efforts to streamline the city traffic system. A comprehensive plan has been charted for managing traffic, taking off from a series of discussions that the police had with various organisations here. The plan will be implemented in a phased manner, concentrating on specific areas.

One of the suggestions of these meetings was to set up sub-committees which will have people from all walks of life, to oversee the traffic reforms in their local areas.

As a first step, the strech from Alukkas junction to Kozhikode Railway station has been selected to implement traffic reforms, including identification of parking zones. This is only an experiment, and if found successful, the process will be extended to other areas in the city.

The police admit that a major problem is finding parking places for private vehicles. ‘‘You will find ‘no parking’ boards everywhere in the city. But seldom you find a ‘park here’ board,’’ remarked a police official.

To address this problem, a parking place for private vehicles has been identified on the left side on Mavoor road near the KSRTC bus stand, police sources said.

Traffic police have been given some motivation to meet the new challeges. Efforts are on to give special training to cops on traffic duty. The new white uniforms provided to traffic sub-inspectors now is a part of the idea.

You will find a lot more traffic cops aside spanking new motor bikes in the city soon. This is, hopefully, to help them manoeuvre through traffic jams to reach accidemt sites.

The only things, apparently, that will remain unchanged are the notoriously narrow roads while the vehicle population multiplies and traffic cops have more and more on their hands each day.

Sunday, August 11, 2002

Security guard killed

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM In what is described by the police as a case of murder for gain, unidentified persons murdered a 65-year-old security guard of a private firm dealing in still cameras and film and the godown ransacked of goods worth Rs 1 lakh on Saturday night.

Police identified the deceased as Sadasivan Pillai who was working as a security guard at Sree Krishna distributors at Enchackkal junction in Fort police station limits.

According to sources, more than 100 automatic cameras, 3000 film cassettes, photographic printing paper, computers and a pick-up autorickshaw was stolen from the godown of the company. However, the police was yet to confirm the value and amount of the goods stolen.

The city police is reported to have "definite clues'' about the identity of the perpetrators of the crime. A manhunt has been launched to arrest the accused.

The Assistant Commissioner (Fort), Mr. Venugopal, who is heading the investigation, said that the crime could have occurred at around 11 p.m. on Friday night. The security guard was tied up and gagged before the gang entered the premises of the godown. The death seemed to have occurred due to asphyxiation. The body of the security guard was found in a tied up position in a remote corner of the compound by neighbours who alerted the police on Saturday morning.

Mr. Venugopal said the murder of the guard would not have been intentional. "The gang members had tied up Sadasivan Pillai and thrust a piece of cloth into his mouth which resulted in his death due to gagging. If they had intended to murder the guard, they could have easily done it at the very outset'', he said. A private had bank had functioned from the premises of the distribution company till recently. The advertisement board of the bank has not yet been removed. Mr. Venugopal said that it was highly possible that the gang had entered the premises thinking that the bank was still functioning there.

Experts from the Forensic Sciences Laboratory and the single-digit finger print bureau of the city police inspected the scene. Officials said that several fingerprints have been lifted from the scene of crime.

Sunday, August 11, 2002

Sex racked busted

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Aug. 10. Four persons, including two women and a village officer, were arrested in connection with a sex-racket bust by the city police in Medical College police station limits on Saturday.

Police identified the accused as Sudha (55), Sarayu Devi (32), Venugopalan Nair (who was identified as the village officer) and Selvaraj (40) of Parassala.

An official said the sex-for-money racket was being conducted on the sly by the accused Sudha from a private residence in Job Lane, Kumarapuram. The other accused Sarayu Devi is a resident of Vizhinjam. Police said the men were regular clients at the house. The raid was ordered by the City Police Commissioner, Rajan Singh, who was acting on specific information from some local residents, police said.

A case has been registered under the Prevention of Immoral Traffic Act (PITA). The CI (Medical College), Mahesh Kumar, is heading the investigation. Police said the accused would be produced before the magistrate on Sunday.

Sunday, August 11, 2002

Curbs on valuable trees to go

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Aug. 10. The Government will direct the Forest Department to remove the restrictions on the public for planting and felling valuable trees on their premises, the Minister for Forests, K. Sudhakaran, has said.

The Minister also announced that the department, with the help of local bodies, would identify two hectares of land each in every grama panchayat where intensive tree planting could be undertaken to create artificial forest covers.

He was inaugurating a programme of GREENS, the Nature club of Secretariat employees, to distribute 2,500 tree saplings to the employees here on Friday.

Sunday, August 11, 2002

Flow of illicit spirit worries police

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM AUG. 10. The Rural police are facing an uphill task in stemming the flow of illicit spirit from across the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border into the capital.

Illicit spirit trade has emerged as a main source of income for hundreds of unemployed youth, including women, in the district. The network, which includes smugglers, stockists, wholesale dealers and retailers, has its tentacles reaching right into the heart of the city.

It is learnt that there are more than 15 highly organised gangs specialising in the smuggling and sale of illicit spirit in the district.

Rasiliyan, a Parassala-based activist of the Kerala Madhya Virudha Samathy, says large spirit consignments from distilleries in Karnataka are off-loaded in the sparsely populated arid plains near Valliyoor and its surrounding areas. The spirit is then divided into smaller consignments.

In the spirit trade, 165 spirit cans of 35-litre capacity are considered as one full consignment. The stuff is then concealed under trucks and mini-lorries carrying manure, sand, fish and vegetable and smuggled into the State through Parassala. There are 55 to 60 land routes connecting Neyyattinkara with Parasala. Often, spirit is smuggled in private cars, two-wheelers and even in milk-cans mounted on bicycles. The illicit stuff is also smuggled through the waterways of the River Neyyar and the Neyyar Dam reservoir.

The SP (Rural), G. Lakshman, says hunting for spirit is like searching for the proverbial needle in the haystack. Of late, spirit is being smuggled from Tamil Nadu by sea to Poovar and Pozhiyoor. Most of the spirit is sold disguised as toddy through licensed outlets and the rest through a network of retailers.

The spirit smugglers constantly update their techniques, making it virtually impossible for the police to plug every gap through which the illicit stuff is brought into the district. Spirit smuggled through the Walayar checkpost in Palakkad and through Achankovil and Aryankavu in Kollam district is also reaching Thiruvananthapuram, according to Mr. Lekshman. In the past one month alone, the Rural police had seized nearly 13,500 litres of spirit. More than 300 persons, including new entrants and habitual abkari offenders, had been arrested.

Sunday, August 11, 2002

Thomas, Sankaran need not quit: KPCC chief

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM AUG. 10. The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, K. Muraleedharan, has said that there is no need for the Tourism Minister, K.V. Thomas, and the Health Minister, P. Sankaran, to step down though the Vigilance Court had ordered a probe into complaints against them.

Replying to questions at a news conference here today, Mr. Muraleedharan said the court directives were preliminary in nature and neither of the Minister had been found prima facie guilty of any charge.

All that the court had done was to ask the police to find the veracity of the complaints they had received.

The Tourism Minister had taken the position that the law must take its course. The KPCC also shared this view.

The Government lawyer had communicated this position to the Vigilance Court.

He would not wish to say anything about the persons who had filed the complaint against Prof. Thomas since the matter was sub judice.

However, once the legal proceedings were completed, appropriate action would be taken against them, Mr. Muraleedharan said.

Replying to questions on the Surya TV case and the alleged role of the Congress MLA, Shobhana George, in the forgery, Mr. Muraleedharan said any action could be taken in the matter only after the findings of the police were made public.

As of now, there are only reports that the police had interrogated the Surya TV reporter in question. No action could be taken on the basis of hearsay.

If anyone was found to be guilty, action would certainly be taken against him. The KPCC leadership meeting had authorised him to take whatever action necessary in the matter, he added.

To a specific question on what stand the KPCC would take if Ms. George was summoned for interrogation by the Crime Branch police, Mr. Muraleedharan said the police would have full authority to do whatever it deemed necessary as part of the investigation and that there was no question of the party or the Government coming in the way of the inquiry.

He sought to allay fears about the investigation getting diluted after the grilling of the Surya TV reporter and said his party was hopeful that the police would not be lax in taking the case to its logical conclusion.

The police would not be able to shirk its responsibilities because if it showed laxity, there were courts in this land to intervene, he pointed out.

On the alleged Mattancherry sex scandal and reports that some Congress MLAs were also involved in it, the KPCC president said his party wanted the investigation to be completed at the earliest so that people's representatives would not be subjected to ridicule by the people over media reports.

The KPCC president announced that party activists would stage a sit-in before Central Government offices on August 16 as part of the party's nation-wide agitation to press for action against all those responsible for the `petrol pump scam.'

He came down heavily on the BJP leadership for its attempts to drag the Congress leaders, including himself, into the scandal.

All that the MPs in the Congress had done was to forward representations they had received. This was being interpreted by the BJP spokesmen as recommendations, he pointed out.

He said an extended meeting of the KPCC executive would be held by the month-end for a detailed discussion on the party and the Government.

The schedule of the meeting would be finalised to suit the convenience of the Chief Minister, A. K. Antony, and the senior Congress leader, K. Karunakaran, he said.

Sunday, August 11, 2002

AIMS included in telemedicine project

KOCHI AUG. 10. The Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre (AIMS) has been chosen for the Central Government's pilot project on telemedicine.

It is the only hospital in Kerala to be part of the project to be executed with the aid of the Indian Space Research Organisation. Five hospitals in different parts of the country will be linked by satellite under the scheme, which is expected to be operational after a fortnight. This was disclosed at a press conference convened by the AIMS here on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of the cardiovascular and thoracic surgery (CVTS) department of the hospital today.

Prem Nair, medical director, and A.P.S. Krishnan, vice-president of the AIMS, said the hospital has become a trendsetter in cost-effective cardiological package. The affordability at this `medical centre of excellence' is a key factor in drawing patients from abroad as well as different parts of the country, they said.

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