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pptrue — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 22:30:28 -0500

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World`s biggest youth festival started.

arshadkpkl — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 18:24:28 -0600

Kollam, Thursday, 10 January: The Kerala State School Art Festival will begin just a while from now when Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan will inaugurate the gala event at 4 p.m. on today evening. Education Minister M.A. Baby will preside the event. The Government Model Boys’ High Secondary School is the main venue, this will be the last State-level schools arts festival in its present form. From next year, it will be a single festival for higher secondary and other schools. The government will form a special committee to work out the details. More than 6,000 students would compete in the events. Competitions in 79 events will take place in the main and 14 other venues. A cultural procession is already on its way from the Kochupilamoodu junction and pass through Chinnakada, the main road and Kallupaalam to reach the venue for the inaugural function.

Welfare scheme for Malayali expatriates

arshadkpkl — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 18:01:09 -0600

KOCHI: Much to the delight of millions of Malayali expatriates, Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan has said that the State government is in the process of drawing up a welfare scheme, including pension, for them.

He was talking after inaugurating the two-day Keraleeya Pravasi Sangamam, organised jointly by the NoRKA (Non-resident Keralites Affairs Department) and NoRKA-ROOTS, a company functioning under the Department of NoRKA, here on Wednesday.

Mr. Achuthanandan said the details of the scheme would be revealed in the sessions to be held on Thursday.

He said that NoRKA-ROOTS would be made a company with the State government as a major stakeholder. The government’s share would be increased to 51.3 per cent from the existing one-fourth shareholding. This would enable the government to play a more proactive role in the welfare of the expatriates, Mr. Achuthanandan said.

He said an office of NoRKA would start in Chennai when the Kerala House launched its operations there. The recommendation for starting a NoRKA office in Bangalore was also under the active consideration of the government, the Chief Minister said.

The government was also considering opening NoRKA cells at district collectorates as in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode.

Setting up a NoRKA village with the support of expatriates was also on the anvil. It would have world-class quality educational, health and residential facilities complete with separate arrangements for recreation and resting.

Separate institutions for the safe accommodation of the aged and commercial and industrial establishments are also being proposed in the village.

Mr. Achuthanandan said that NoRKA would extend all support to expand and intensify the functioning of Malayalam language study centres, aimed at creating a strong bond with the mother tongue.

The government was also interested in starting centres abroad, he said.

The government decided to conduct a youth festival to showcase the talents of the expatriates’ children.

Mr. Achuthanandan said there was widespread complaint that the benefit of the ‘Santhwanam’ project, aimed at providing relief to the expatriates reeling under financial constraints on their return, was not reaching the eligible. He attributed this to the hitches in the below poverty list. He said that a decision had been taken to effect a change in the implementation of the project to improve its efficiency.

Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi presided over the meeting. Sheela Thomas, Secretary of NoRKA, welcomed the gathering. Sebastian Paul, MP, K.T. Jaleel and Manjalamkuzhi Ali, MLAs, directors of NoRKA M.A. Yousuf Ali, M. Anirudhan, Alexander Vadakkedom and Moosa were among those present.

A section of the expatriates staged a protest at the venue against the alleged neglect of their problems.

They were, later, removed by the police.

Pinarayi Vijayan elected News Maker 2007

jimmy elias — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 05:44:18 -0600

CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan has been selected News Maker for the year 2007 by Manorama News.

Pinarayi Vijayan was selected through SMS and online voting that continued till 9.30 pm on Monday. The News Maker 2007 contest was organised by Manorama News along with Manorama Online, and cellular provider Idea.

Vijayan cornered around 28 per cent of the total votes polled to beat Congress leader K. Karunakaran (26 pc), Minister G. Sudhakaran (16 pc), and bureaucrat K. Suresh Kumar (13 per cent).

Sub-committee to hold talks with self-financing colleges

jimmy elias — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 23:51:00 -0600

A seven member sub-committee would soon hold talks with managements of self financing professional colleges to find a solution to issues in connection with the admission of students and fees in these institutions.

The cabinet sub-committee would be headed by Education Minister M A Baby, Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, told reporters after a cabinet meeting.

The committee has been constituted much ahead of the coming academic season to find a remady to the problems.

Ministers P K Sreemathi, Binoy Viswam, Mathew T Thomas, Mones Joseph, N K Preamchandran and G Sudhakaran are the other members of the committee, Achuthanandan said.

Bank looted in Chelambra

jimmy elias — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 07:25:11 -0600

A gang broke into the branch of South Malabar Gramin Bank at Chelembra in Malappuram and decamped with Rs 50 lakhs in cash and gold worth Rs 4.50 crores, police said.

The robbers entered the bank after making a hole on the wall, broke open the locker and decamped with the things. A high-level police team and fingerprint experts have rushed to the spot. Sniffer dogs have also been pressed into service.

CM walks up to Sabarimala temple

jimmy elias — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 07:22:24 -0600

The 84-year-old Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan became the first Marxist leader to visit the famed Sabarimala temple when he trekked a forest route to have a first-hand knowledge of the problems faced by the devotees.

Velikakathu Shankaran Achuthanandan, popularly known as 'Comrade VS', heading the CPI(M)-led LDF government, reached the hilltop here last night after an eight-km trek along with thousands of pilgrims pouring into the shrine to have a 'darshan' of Lord Ayyappa during the peak pilgrimage season.

The Chief Minister did not show any signs of exhaustion after the three-hour-long trekking. Achuthanandan who is also a regular practitioner of Yoga, met temple officials this morning and announced a master-plan to develop this remote shrine, currently attracting lakhs of pilgrims from all over the country.

Devotees observe a 48-day strict regimen before making their pilgrimage, carrying 'erumudi'(offerings) on their heads.

The shrine, believed to have been existing since 1200 AD, also represents a secular character as devotees first offer worship at the mosque of Vavar, a Muslim associate of Ayyappa.

Though the shrine is open to people from all religions, women in the age group of 10-50 are, however, banned from entering it.

Supplyco establishes four medcine wholesale depots

jimmy elias — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 07:18:14 -0600

Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation (SUPPLYCO) has strengthened its medcine procurement-supply-distribution chain management by establishing four wholesale depots at Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, Ernakulam and Kozhikode.

This will ensure direct procurement of medicines from pharmaceutical companies or their C and F agent, a release from Supplyco said here.

The corporation will use its network of around 67 maveli medical stores to distribute these medicines at reduced prices.

A meeting in this connection was called by Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Divakaran in which representatives of various pharmaceutical companies, pharmacist association, drugs controller, representatives of health department and other stake holders participated, the release said.

CBSE National Athletic meet in Kochi from Jan 4 to 8

jimmy elias — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 07:16:53 -0600

About 2500 athletes including 500 gilrs would be seen in action when the CBSE National Athletic Meet gets underway at the Maharaja's Synthetic Track, here from January 4.

Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Vaduthala in Ernakulam distruct has been given the honour of hosting the 12th edition of this mega event.

Speaking to mediapersons here, Maya Mohan, Principal, Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Vaduthala, along with A P M Mohammed Hanish, Collector, Ernakulam District, said besides athletes from India, participants from six countries including UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Doha and Qatar would also participate in the meet which gets over on January 8.

Maya said this is only the fifth time a South Indian state is hosting this meet. Andhra Pradesh was the venue for the meet thrice in 1998, 2001 and 2004 while Tamil Nadu was the host in 2000. The last edition of the meet was held at Jharkhand in which 22 records were rewritten.

Labour India Public School, Kottayam was last year's overall champion. Labour India has been winning the championship for the last three years in a row, she said.

The inaugural ceremony will have a cultural extravaganza including dance forms from various states and art forms of Kerala, she said.

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