Mathrubhumi English Edition

Man arrested for allegedly raping minor girl from UP

Kochi: A 33-year-old man, who allegedly sexually abused a minor girl hailing from Uttar Pradesh after taking her to the temple town of Palani in Tamil Nadu, has been arrested, police said today. The accused, Sanal Kumar, working as supervisor in a private organisation at nearby Edappally was arrested here yesterday following a complaint from the father of the 14-year-old girl, sources said. Police said the girl's father was also working in the same company where the accused was employed. Kumar, hailing from Kozhencherry in Pathnamthitta district, had accompanied the girl's father to Uttar Pradesh for attending a relative's wedding last month and when they returned the girl also accompanied them to see Kerala, police said. The man took her to Palani a few days ago and allegedly sexually abused her, police said. PTI

Tamil Nadu to upgrade power transmission with Japanese aid

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa Wednesday said a new project to improve the power transmission in the state will be implemented with the financial assistance of Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA). She also requested JICA for a line of credit to for viability gap funding and credit to private parties in infrastructure projects. In a statement issued here by the government, Jayalalithaa, during her meeting with a JICA delegation led by its president Akihiko Tanaka, said: 'This year, a new Tamil Nadu Transmission System Improvement Project with a JICA loan of Rs.3,410 crore rupees (607.40 billion yen) is to be implemented.' She told the delegation the project will greatly help strengthen the power transmission network in the state as 6,000 MW of fresh power generation capacity is expected to be commissioned within next one or two years. Jayalalithaa said JICA's assistance to ongoing projects in Tamil Nadu includes the Tamil Nadu Urban Infrastructure Project being implemented at a total cost of Rs.345 crore (JICA line of credit is around Rs.300 crore); the Tamil Nadu Bio Diversity Conservation and Greening Project at a total cost of Rs.700 crore; and the Chennai Metro Rail Project for which JICA loan is Rs.8,646 crore. Expressing satisfaction at the progress of these projects, she also hoped that JICA would consider partnering with the state and funding next year projects like the Chennai Waterways Restoration Project, components of the State Highways Development Project, upgrading Urban Infrastructure in Extended Areas of Chennai, and the Madurai-Thoothukudi Industrial Corridor. Jayalalithaa requested JICA to assist the Project Preparation Fund of the Tamil Nadu Infrastructure Development Board so as to help project development of bankable public-private-partnership (PPP) projects. She also requested JICA on the possibility of a separate line of credit for viability gap funding by the Tamil Nadu Infrastructure Development Fund to implement PPP projects and also provide long term financing directly to private sector developers to enable them to reach financial closure early. During the meeting, Tanaka said Tamil Nadu has great potential to become the hub of industrial growth in the Indian Ocean region and promised support for infrastructure projects in the state.

Sri Lanka are a dangerous side: Dhoni

Cardiff : India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said Wednesday that Sri Lanka were a dangerous side and it was not possible to focus only on their two frontline batsmen ' Mahela Jayawardene or a Kumar Sangakkara' during the semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy slated for Thursday. 'Sri Lanka are a dangerous squad. We just can`t focus on a Mahela (Jayawardene) or a (Kumar) Sangakkara. We have to think of the entire team,' Dhoni said after a training session on the eve of the match. The two Asian rivals' face-off here at the Sophia Gardens will be fifth in Britain. The only time India ended on the losing side was during a shocking defeat in the 1979 World Cup. Dhoni said the team was under no pressure in the midst of the betting and the spot-fixing controversies in the Indian Premier League (IPL) back home. 'It's the Indian media that creates all this hype and then asks me questions. As far as we are concerned, we have to play good cricket, we are working hard and just proving ourselves,' he said. With rain clouds looming large over the match, Dhoni didn't seem too bothered about the weather conditions. But even if rain plays spoilsport, India will go through to the final on the account of having topped their group B. Sri Lanka had finished second behind England in group A. 'Of course, the teams know each other so well that we can save those extra 10-15 minutes strategising in team meetings. 'We play each other a lot in the IPL and understand him better. He reverses the ball very well in the sub-continent but we are okay with him. He always remains a dangerous bowler,' said Dhoni. Dhoni also lauded the support staff for India`s success. Asked if there was any area he would like his team to strengthen up, Dhoni said: 'We'll have to see what strength we are really looking for against a particular opposition. 'Ishant is someone who gets a decent amount of bounce, who is tall and can have a big impact, especially in the middle overs once the ball gets slightly old. I think on and off each and every one will have a few games where they'll go for runs.' 'Umesh had a bad game, then Ishant had a bad game. So I think it's important to keep backing the guys and also the fact that they learn a lot out of these games.' The two teams met in the 2011 World Cup final, but since then they have undergone several changes.A 'Even if both the teams were the same, there have been a significant amount of changes that have been made to the format,....

World Bank offers $216 mn loan for Kerala transport projects

New Delhi : The World Bank Wednesday offered a $216 million loan for upgrading state highways and road safety in Kerala. A tripartite agreement between the World Bank, the Indian government and Kerala was signed here in this regard. 'The objective of the project is to improve road conditions, traffic flow and road safety with a focus on vulnerable road users on selected roads in Kerala,' according to an official statement released after the signing of the agreement. The projects will be implemented over a period of six years, it said. The project will have three components -- road network upgrading and safety improvement, road safety management and institutional strengthening. It include upgrading 363 km of strategically important state highways to complete network connectivity in the state with the objective of reducing travel time between key socio-economic centres.

Pakistani troops violate LoC ceasefire after infiltration foiled

Jammu: A civilian was injured as Pakistani troops Wednesday violated the ceasefire and fired across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district after an infiltration bid was foiled by the Indian Army, a defence official said. Defence PRO S.N. Acharya said a group of four militants from Pakistan-administered Kashmir were seen moving towards the LoC in Krishna Ghati sector in Poonch around 9.50 a.m. and opened fire when challenged by Indian troops. 'Our troops retaliated, and they were pushed back,' he said. Acharya said after the infiltration bid was foiled, Pakistani troops fired with small arms and mortars in Krishna Ghati and Poonch sectors, and one civilian sustained injuries. The injured man is under treatment at a hospital in Poonch. Indian troops retaliated to the firing, he said, adding that firing continued intermittently.

Mercedes hit-and-run case: Shaji sent to police custody

Chennai : A local court here today granted one day police custody of Shaji Purushothaman, the prime accused in the recent Mercedes hit-and-run case in which a boy was killed and two others were injured. Shaji, son of a businessman here, was produced before XIV Metropolitan Magistrate L Abraham Lincoln, who remanded him in police custody. Shaji, arrested by Tamil Nadu police in Kochi on June 13 after absconding for about three weeks since the incident, had been remanded in judicial custody till June 27. Police had filed an application seeking five-days custody of Shaji for interrogation. On May 23, Shaji allegedly drove a car in a rash and negligent manner under the influence of liqour and ran over three children sleeping on the pavement. A 13-year old boy was killed and another critically injured in the incident. As he remained elusive, Shaji was declared a proclaimed offender by the court later. PT

Monsoon rains toll in Kerala put at 17

Thiruvananthapuram : A total of 17 persons have died so far due to rain-related incidents in Kerala since the onset of monsoon, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said today. An amount of Rs.1.5 lakhs would be given to families of those killed in rain-related incidents and Rs.one lakh each to those whose houses were completely destroyed, Chandy said during a cabinet briefing. An amount of Rs.35,000 would be given to those whose houses were damaged partially, he said. It has also been decided to provide free ration food articles to the affected persons for two weeks, Chandy added. PTI

Young politicians should fight corruption: Governor

Thiruvananthapuram : Young politicians should strive towards changing the face of India by fighting corruption which has infected the nation, Kerala Governor Nikhil Kumar said. Corruption was not becoming the focal point of debate during elections as voters were being wooed on the basis of caste, creed or religion, the Governor said at the release of 'India: The Future is Now', edited by Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development Shashi Tharoor. Kumar said it was time to reconsider passing of the provision which allows a person involved in a criminal case to contest the election until final verdict. The young parliamentarians should be concerned about the extent of corruption infecting the country, he said. Women's empowerment was another area which should be given utmost priority, he said. He commended Tharoor for coming out with such 'a wonderful piece of work', which was a collection of essays by a dozen young MPs from different parties and regions. Tharoor said the book was an experiment for him as it was his first stint as an Editor though he had written 13 books on his own. He said he wanted to tell the readers what was on the minds of young politicians in the country. Young Indians with an eye on the future should have urgent concern for India's compelling problems. Around 66 per cent of the country's population was below 35, he said. 'India: The Future is Now' presents the vision and roadmap for the country and brings together young parliamentarians, cutting across ideologies, geographies and political affiliations who provide perspectives on a wide range of issues from technology to infrastructure, healthcare, education to environmental issues. The contributors to the volume are Anantkumar Hegde, Anurag Singh Thakur, Hamdullah Sayeed, Jay Panda, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kalikesh Singh Deo, M B Rajesh, Milind Deora, Nishikant Dubey, Poonamben Veljibhai Jat, Priya Dutt Roncon and Sanjay Jaiswal. A panel discussion followed the release function in which young MLAs Hibi Eden, Shafi Parambil, P C Vishnunath and T V Rajesh took part. PTI

HC Judge denies helping accused in solar scam

Kochi : Amid the political row over solar panel scam, a Kerala High Court Judge today refuted media reports stating that he had endorsed the products of accused company Team Solar. Justice B Kemal Pasha clarified that he had never given any letter either to Team Solar or any other person for promoting their product, an official statement quoted him as saying. In a statement issued by the Kerala High Court, Justice Pasha said while he was functioning as district judge and chairman of Kerala district legal service authority, Ernakulam, some NGOs including Team Solar had come to his office with some pamphlets showing solar lights would be installed free of cost in the streets of Kochi. The programme, 'Smile Kochi' was to be implemented with cooperation of Kochi Corporation and the organisers wanted to bring out a souvenir with his message as Chairman of the Legal Services Authority, Justice Pasha said. 'As we were conducting various programmes on environmental protection, pollution, global warming etc, I gave a message congratulating the proposal as it would save electrical energy and not cause any pollution. Apart from any such message I have never given any letter either to team solar or any other person for promoting their products,' he said. Reports alleging a high court judge endorsing the Team Solar product was carried by a section of the media today. The issue has been rocking the state assembly for the third consecutive day today with the opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) disrupting the proceedings demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Ommen Chandy. PTI

30 killed as bus plunges into Peru ravine

Lima : At least 30 people were killed Wednesday when a passenger bus fell off 100 metres into a ravine in Peru's Chanchamayo province, Xinhua reported. The bus, with 54 passengers on board, was heading to Satipon town from capital Lima during pre-dawn hours just when it plunged into a ravine after the driver lost control of the vehicle. The accident occurred near the so- called Tunnel of the Virgin, a stretch of road considered difficult due to the ravines that line the highway linking towns in central Peru, said Susana Natividad, a manage with the central tourism bus company, which owns the bus. Rescue workers pulled 14 people from the wreckage, all of whom were seriously injured, while the remainder were still missing, said Natividad. The rescue crew retrieved 18 bodies and are working to recover the remains of the other victims trapped by the wreckage, a source with Peru's National Police said. Some of the bodies may have been swept away by the Tarma river, where the bus finally landed after plummeting into the ravine, police source said.

EU fines Ranbaxy, others for blocking cheaper drugs

European Union (EU) antitrust regulators fined nine drugmakers a total of 146 million euros on Wednesday for blocking the supply of cheaper medicines on the market, with a penalty of 94 million euros imposed on Denmark's Lundbeck. The punishments follow a 2009 report by the European Commission on the pharmaceutical sector, which said 'pay-for-delay' deals lead to consumers paying as much as 20 percent more for their medicines. The European Commission, which acts as competition regulator across the 27-member European Union, imposed a 21.4 million euro fine on Germany's Merck KGaA and another 7.77 million euros on it jointly with former subsidiary Generics UK, which is now owned by U.S. generic drugmaker Mylan. The other penalised companies were Arrow, Resolution Chemicals, Xellia Pharmaceuticals, Alpharma - which is now part of Zoetis Products LLC, A.L. Industrier and India's No. 1 pharmaceutical company Ranbaxy. Reuters flagged the EU fines on June 3. 'Agreements of this type directly harm patients and national health systems, which are already under tight budgetary constraints,' EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said in a statement. 'The Commission will not tolerate such anticompetitive practices.' Reuters

Karzai suspends US talks in row over Taliban office

Kabul: Afghan President Hamid Karzai today broke off crucial security talks with the United States, angry over the name given to a new Taliban office in Qatar that is meant to facilitate peace negotiations. The ongoing Afghan-US talks must reach an agreement if Washington is to maintain soldiers in Afghanistan after a NATO combat mission ends next year. Karzai's decision to suspend the talks threatens to wreck US efforts to start a dialogue with the Taliban, which President Barack Obama had welcomed as an important step towards ending 12 years of war. The prospect of peace received a further reality-check today when the Taliban claimed an audacious overnight rocket attack that kille four US troops at the largest US-led military base in Afghanistan. Explaining the suspension of the security talks, Karzai's spokesman Aimal Faizi told AFP: 'There is a contradiction between what the US government says and what it does regarding Afghanistan peace talks. 'The president suspended the BSA (Bilateral Security Agreement) talks with the US this morning.' He said the row centred on the Taliban office using the title 'Islamic Emirate Of Afghanistan'. That was the formal name of the Islamist movement's government from 1996 until it was toppled in 2001. 'The president is not happy with the name of the office. We oppose the title the 'Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan' because such a thing doesn't exist,' Faizi said. 'The US was aware of the president's stance.' It was the latest incident to underscore the troubled relations between Karzai and his American allies, which have degenerated into public spats in the past. Karzai has previously opposed direct Taliban-US talks, but had appeared to embrace the new office, which opened in Qatar yesterday. He said he had ordered envoys to Qatar to try to negotiate with the Taliban as US officials said their own talks with the group could begin this week. Karzai has stressed, however, that any dialogue would have to move from Doha, the capital of Qatar, to Afghanistan as soon as possible. Yesterday, NATO formally transferred responsibility for security to the Afghan police and army. About 100,000 foreign combat troops, 68,000 of them from the US, are due to withdraw by the end of next year. But a lingering US military presence is considered vital to support the US-backed Kabul government amid an ongoing Taliban insurgency.In Iraq, where violence has surged, efforts to reach a similar arrangement collapsed when Baghdad refused....

Nitish Kumar wins trust vote

Patna: After dumping ally BJP, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today comfortably won a vote of confidence in his government in the Bihar Assembly amid signals of a new political alignment as Congress backed the motion. A total of 126 votes, including four of Congress and one of CPI, were cast in favour of the confidence motion while 24, including 22 of Lalu Prasad led RJD, voted against the motion as BJP members staged a walkout before the vote. Those who voted in favour of the motion included ruling JD(U)'s 117 and four Independents. Besides RJD's 22 MLAs, two Independents also opposed the motion. Significantly, the Congress support for the government comes two days after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh described Kumar as secular and indicated that his party could do business with RJD. The Central government had already enhanced development assistance to Bihar as a backward state recently, setting off speculation that the two parties could come together in future elections. In his speech in the Assembly, Kumar said, without taking the name of Narendra Modi, that the main reason for breaking the alliance with BJP was the elevation of the Gujarat Chief Minister in his party. He said the slogan shouting by BJP MLAs hailing Modi went to buttress JD(U)'s point, an apparent reference to the possibility of BJP making him the Prime Ministerial candidate. Later, the Chief Minister in a chat with reporters thanked the Congress party for voting in favour of the trust motion. 'But if you think that there was some discussion (between JD(U) and Congress) about future, there has been no discussion,' he said.

Chandy gets full support from UDF in con-couple's dubious deals

Thiruvananthapuram: A week has elapsed since the doings of a con-couple rocked the high and mighty, including the office of Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, but the United Democratic Front (UDF) has decided to back him with all its might. The Kerala assembly has virtually stopped functioning and is now witnessing a free-for-all as the Left opposition has announced that it will keep up the pressure till it sees the back of Chandy and a judicial probe into the sequence of events relating to the con-couple. The situation was no different Wednesday as the Left opposition, after question hour was over, shouting slogans demanding that Chandy must go, forcing the adjournment of the house for the day after the listed business was quickly run through. Government chief whip P.C.George said that after Wednesday's session, the UDF parliamentary party took a unanimous decision to support Chandy as he has done no wrong. 'Tomorrow (Thursday), the top leaders of the UDF will hold a joint press conference and public meetings will be held at three places in the state in the coming days to explain the misdeeds of the Left opposition on why they are making this much noise,' George told IANS. At the heart of the matter is Saritha S. Nair and her former live-in partner Biju Radhakrishnan, who had formed a company, 'Team Solar', engaged in erecting solar panels at offices and homes. They had managed to collect crores of rupees from influential people in the state on the promise of providing the equipment to tap green sources of energy but failed to deliver. The two have since been arrested, but the trouble started after a TV channel backed by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) came out with a list of calls made by Nair, which showed that she had maintained close links with Chandy's personal assistant Teny Jopan and one of his gunmen, Salim Raj. Both lost their jobs last week. The normally cool Chandy, highly regarded for his impeccable integrity in public life ever since he became a legislator in 1970 (and has never lost an election since then), was on the defensive for the first few days after the revelations but has now regained his composure and has asked why he should quit because of telephone calls made by some others. 'There has been not a single paisa's loss to the exchequer and with regard to the conning of people by the couple, the law will take its course. During the Left regime (2006-11), even though there were numerous cases....

State inks deal with DMRC for monorail

Thiruvananthapuram: The state govt signed an agreement with the DMRC to implement the Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode mono rail projects. The CM said after the signing-in ceremony that both the projects would be completed time-bound. Chief minister Oommen Chandy, who is chairman of Kerala Monorail Corporation, inked the deal in the presence of Assembly speaker G Karthikeyan, Transport minister V K Ibrahim Kunju who is vice chairman, other ministers, with the DMRC head E Sreedharan.

PRD director A Feroz suspended

Thiruvananthapuram: Senior government officer A Feroz who has come under the scanner for his alleged connection in a financial cheating case, was suspended from office. Information and Public Relations Secretary who has been asked to enquire into the allegation against the Public Relations Department Director, submitted the report to the govt and based on the report he was suspended.

6 persons from Noida held for running fake recruitment agency

Kochi : Six persons from Noida have been arrested for running a fake recruitment agency here and cheating several engineering students of lakhs of rupees by promising them jobs in multi-national companies. The accused, including a woman, were arrested yesterday for allegedly cheating 500 students through the fake campus recruitment agency, police said today. Students from engineering colleges in Palakkad, Kollam, Thiruvananthapuram, Bhopal, West Bengal and Coimbatore were victims of the accused, they said. The fraud came to light after some students from different engineering colleges lodged complaint that they had been duped by the gang. Ninety complaints against the agency were received by police. According to police, those selected in the campus recruitment had been asked to report at their office here on May 20 and pay a security deposit from Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000. When some of the students tried to contact the agency's office in Delhi, they got to know that it had been closed down. Following which, they filed a complaint, police said. Some of the students were also recruited to some non-existent companies, they added The accused, who had already booked their railway tickets to Delhi, were nabbed in time, police said. PTI

Petition to PM against Aranmula airport project

Thiruvananthapuram: A group of cultural, political and religious leaders has asked the Prime Minister to intervene to stop the state government from building an airport at Aranmula in Pathanamthitta,which they claimed would cause ecological problems in the region. The members submitted a petition to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh which stated that the project violated several state and central laws related to land and environmental protection, including Environment Protection Act, Kerala Land Reforms Act, Kerala Land Conservancy Act and Kerala Conservation of Paddy and Wetland Act. It also questioned the need for a new airport at an aerial distance of 95 km from the Kochi International airport and 93 km from the Thiruvananthapuram airport project. The petition said the potential of these two airports was yet to be fully tapped and a new airport was 'unnecessary and unscientific'. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture had also raised objection to the proposal in its report in May. The project, encompassing hotels, shopping malls and residential complexes, would change the face of the Aranmula region, which should be conserved as a heritage village, it said. The proposed airport would require wetlands, paddy fields, flood plains of the Pampa river and levelling of neighbouring hillocks. An entire eco-system comprising a natural age-old hydrological system would be destroyed, it said. The project, causing grave harm to nature, would amount to trampling upon the rights of the local people, the petition said, adding that there were no moral, scientific or legal grounds to set up the project. The petitioners requested the Prime Minister to deny environmental clearance for the project and instruct the state government not to proceed with it. Archbishop Soosapakiam, Jnanpith laureate O N V Kurup, poet Sugathakumari, film-maker Adoor Gopalakrishnan and leaders of all political parties are among signatories to the petition. A dharna was held here last evening to press for the demand. Former diplomat K P S Menon, Opposition Leader V S Achuthanandan, CPI-M leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, C Divakaran (CPI), O Rajagopal, V Muraleedharan (BJP), V M Sudheeran, V D Satheesan (Cong), N K Premachandran (RSP) and other social and cultural leaders participated in the dharna. PTI

62,000 still stranded; PM, Sonia to visit Kedarnath

New Delhi: Over 62,000 pilgrims and tourists are still stranded in calamity-hit Uttarakhand while 11,000 have been rescued. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi are to undertake an aerial survey of the extensive damage. The toll in the havoc caused by the flash foods and cloudbursts stands at 69, union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said Wednesday. Manmohan Singh and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chief Sonia Gandhi are to fly to the temple town of Kedarnath in Uttarakhand where the swollen Mandakini river has washed away houses and many people are reported missing, Shinde told reporters. The prime minister and Congress president were briefed in the morning about the extensive damage caused by heavy monsoon rains, flash floods and cloudburst in Uttarakhand, said Shinde. 'The prime minister and Congress chief are going to do an aerial survey of Kedarnath,' he added. According to Shinde, personnel of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the army have together managed to rescue 11,000 of the stranded pilgrims and tourists in Uttarakhand, the worst hit in the heavy rains. He said the ITBP has rescued 6,400 pilgrims at Joshimath and put them up in camps. 'Fourteen teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are working in the area,' he said. 'Five thousand pilgrims have been rescued by the army, while over 62,000 pilgrims are still stranded in Uttarakhand,' the home minister added. 'So far 11,000 stranded pilgrims have been rescued,' he said. While reports point to a toll of over 100, the home minister said he had received a report pointing to 69 deaths. More helicopters are being pressed into service on the urging of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, said Shinde. While five MI-17 choppers of the Indian Air Force have already been deployed to rescue stranded people, on the prime minister's request 12 more helicopters are being pressed into service, said Shinde. The Border Roads Organisation has also been deployed as in many places entire stretches of mountain roads have caved in or been washed away, said the home minister. 'The BRO is trying to create pagdandis (pathways),' said the minister. Food packages are being dropped by choppers in many flooded areas and local doctors have been asked to tend to the people, he added.

NREGA wages through e-payment system

Meenangadi: All employees working under the NREGA scheme would get payment directly to their bank accounts through electronic fund management system. Instead of giving cheque, employees can withdraw the money directly. The first phase of the project was inaugurated at Meenangadi village panchayat. The new system will come into effect soon once the work is completed. At present employees need to wait for a maximum of 14 days for the attendance sheet to reach office and to get their pay. The project would be extended to all panchayats in Wayanad by next month. In Meenangadi there are 5500 working under NREGA.

Chit fund MD who absconded with 1.5 cr surrenders

Valancherry : A former MD of private chit fund organization, who absconded with Rs 1.5 crore a year back, surrendered before the Valanacherry CI AM Sidhique as per the direction of the HC. Mohandas, 43, from Arakinar, Kozhikode was presented before the Tirur magistrate court. It was on June 2012 that Mohandas went absconding after closing his organization. Thousands of people from Valancherry, Edayoor, Purakkattiri were members in the chit fund and invested huge sums. Many were not given money even though they were alloted. The investors created ruckus in front of the organization and MD absconded after closing down. As per petition filed by the investors, the HC asked Mohandas to surrender before Valancherry police.

All will be consulted on seaplane service: Anil Kumar

Thiruvananthapuram: Tourism Minister A.P. Anil Kumar Wednesday said that all stakeholders would be taken into confidence regarding the operations of a sea plane service in the state's picturesque backwaters. 'I assure the assembly that we will not do anything that would affect any community in the state. All the stakeholders in the fishing sector as well as legislators will be taken into confidence. We will conduct awareness programmes to this effect and then only will we go ahead with the plan,' the minister told the state assembly while responding to a question. Earlier this month, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy launched the country's first seaplane service from the backwaters at Kollam to provide an impetus to the tourism industry in Kerala. However, the fishing community opposed the project fearing that it would pose a threat to their livelihood. Environmentalists, too, have opposed the amphibian seaplane service. Chandy was to fly on the inaugural flight from Kollam to Alappuzha. But after coming to know that a section of the fishing community was opposed to the project, he cancelled his trip. 'To start with, we will operate from Kollam, Alapuzha, Bekal and Bolgatty (in Kochi), and then it will be extended to Wayanad and Munnar,' Kumar said. The government has entered into an agreement with a Bangalore-based firm to provide the six-seater Cessna 206 H amphibian aircraft to start the operations. Although the service has not been started on account of the monsoon season and in view of the fears expressed by the fishing community, the state government is hopeful that regular operations would commence by August. The seaplanes will fly roughly 6,500 feet above ground to provide a breathtaking view of the greenery Kerala is known for.

VS asks PC George to disclose evidences

Thiruvananthapuram: Opposition leader VS Achuthanandan asked CM and the speaker to give chief whip PC George an opportunity to disclose details and evidences regarding the solar panel fraud case. Earlier, P C George disclosed that corruption to the tune of Rs 10,000 crore had occurred in solar scam and he has evidence with him to prove it. In such a situation George should be given a chance to reveal it in public, VS said. There should be a probe conducted on George's disclosures too. VS asked who would oust the CM who had indulged in corruption. Corruption can't be curbed through lathi charge and can't be covered up using tear gas, VS said.

Thiruvanchoor flays Kodiyeri for protecting fraudsters

Thiruvananthapuram: Home minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan asked why Kodiyeri is protecting the solar scamsters Sarita S Nair and Biju Radhakrishnan. Thiruvanchoor dismissed Kodiyeri's comment that during the previous LDF rule, the two fraudsters left to TN and during the present UDF rule, they came back to Kerala to continue their fraud. It is learnt that the fraudsters were present in Kerala during the previous LDF rule. The opposition is in a dilemma now as they fear many hidden cases would be cleared by the probe, the minsiter said. The solar panel installed at the CM's office was not by ANERT. Instead the RVG Menon Commitee recommended Megabyte was the company which set up solar panel. Megabyte had first installed these panels at CM's office and at the RVG Menon's residence. The Megabyte Solar was formed by Ammini Solar which is recognised by the Central government. This company had set up panels even at Kazhakootam Military Centre. These companies are listed by ANERT. Hence nothing illegal had happened, Thiruvanchoor asserted. Thiruvanchoor also added that he had not gone against Sunilkumar in the Assembly. The Yuva Morcha activists who undertook a dharna were also not attacked cruelly on Tuesday. Police were forced to intervene when they tried to break the barricade, the minsiter said.

Appointed from teacher bank; uncertainty over salary still exists

Malappuram: Confusion still exists in alloting allowances and assigning jobs to teachers who were appointed from the teachers bank. The teachers who lost their job earlier and who were again re-appointed through teachers bank are given basic pay, DA plus HRA only. As many as 1200 teachers were appointed as cluster co-coordinators under BRCs. The teachers who lost their job due to closure of schools, decline in number of students and teachers over 10 years experience were included in the bank. Instead of giving salary through treasuries, they were given salary from SSA fund. Though recently the anomaly in teachers salary were rectified, these teachers had not received the benefit. As there is no clarity over for how many years SSA will fund them, there is confusion over who will pay them salary in future. They are all appointed as new admission. There is no mention on their PF and insurance of teachers who were in service for the last 13 years. The general insurance project and state life insurance project were not reinstated and there is no mention of Kerala Aided school employees pension fund. Though the teachers are given the post as cluster co-coordinators there is clarity on what job they need to do. They are not included in academic matters too.

Food security: Cellars to be opened in Kozhikode, Ernakulam

New Delhi: As part of implementing food security bill, the central government is planning to strengthen the storage cells in the country. In 10 states including Kerala, FCI will open most modern cellars or underground storage facilities. In the cellars designed by FCI, it will have capacity to store 20 lakh tones of food grains. FCI is planning to call e-tender to construct cellars. In Kerala the storage cells would be in Kozhikode and Ernakulam. The other states are Bihar, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharshtra, Punjab, UP, West Bengal, Gujarat and Assam. A total of 48 storage cells would be constructed and 38 would be developed in public private participation. FCI has already called an evaluation meet in Delhi. The tender for such storage houses would be called within a month or two.

LDF stalls Kerala Assembly over solar scam

Thiruvananthapuram: Continuing to target Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on the solar panel scam, the CPI-M-led LDF Opposition today stalled proceedings in the Assembly for the third consecutive day. After seeking leave for an adjournment motion on 'police excesses' on youth marchers over the issue for the last two days, LDF members raised the demand for Chandy's resignation alleging he had links with the scam accused Saritha Nair and Biju Radhakrishnan, who financially cheated many people by promising them solar panel solutions and agencies. Placard-wielding and slogan-shouting LDF members trooped into the well of the House during the zero hour, forcing Speaker G Karthikeyan to cut short the day's sitting. Seeking leave for the motion, V S Sunilkumar (CPI) accused UDF government of trying to cover up irregularities in the 'CM office' and divert the course of investigation. Trying to take the wind out of the opposition sails, Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan said there was no truth whatsoever in the opposition allegation that the fake company had been given orders to install solar panels in many government institutions including Chief Minister's official residence. Only those companies approved by the state's non-conventional energy agency Anert had been given orders. 'We have not given a minor favour worth Rs.10 to the company under question. Then where is the question of heaping favours worth crores of rupees to the company, as being alleged by LDF,' he said. After the House adjourned, LDF members marched out of the Assembly hall and staged a sit-in for a while in front of the Legislature complex. The issue has been disrupting proceedings in the House for the last three days and feeder outfits of CPI-M and CPI have been running a campaign across the state. The chief minister has ruled out his resignation holding that he has not done anything wrong. But two of his personal staff were sacked last week after they were found to have made frequent calls to the accused in the case. The government had entrusted the case to a special team of investigators headed by ADGP (South Zone). The accused in the case, Saritha and Biju Radhakrishnan, have been arrested and remanded to custody.PTI

Vehicle RC book to have owner's photo

Alappuzha: For curbing vehicle theft and fraud, the photo of vehicle owners would be printed in the RC book from now onwards. This will come into force from July 1. The distribution of RC books will be temporarily stopped till the software in RT offices are upgraded. Rishi Raj Singh , who took charge as transport commissioner, issued the order on June 15. The photo will be added, as it will be easy to recognize the owner. When the vehicles are transferred or sold, new RC books would be taken with new owners photo. Owner's photo will be added in permits too. When the vehicles are registered via online, their scanned photo should be added. Two photos of owner should be given while registration in RT office. At present owner's scanned signature is added in RC books.

Slew of packages for Sasthamcottah Lake conservation

Thiruvananthapuram : The Kerala Government has announced several packages for the conservation of Sasthamcotta Lake in Kollam district. In an official statement here today, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said among the packages is the separate drinking water project for the city of Kollam and regions in Panmana and Chavara for which 41 MLD water is currently being pumped from the Sasthamcottah Lake. This will be reduced and instead the drinking water needs of Kollam city will be met by bringing water from Kadrpuzha to the treatment plant at Sasthamcotta. This project would soon begin. Separate treatment plants for Panmana and Chavara regions will be set up at Champakadavu. Projects worth Rs 56.50 crore will be implemented. Another project to ensure drinking water to the city of Kollam will be implemented by taking water from Ithikara. These projects will be commissioned by February 2015. Regions comprising Sasthamcotta, West Kallada, Mynagappally and Sooranadu panchayaths will also benefit from the Sasthamcotta drinking water project. This will be completed in a year's time. An additional financial assistance of Rs five crore has been sanctioned for building toilets in houses situated close to the lake, apart from the already sanctioned amount of Rs 5.54 crore. Various departments will come up with their action plans and will implement them in a time bound manner. A special package for relocating 50 odd families living in the catchment area of the lake will be implemented. Instruction has been given to remove the silt accumulated in the lake, following a scientific study for the purpose. Meetings will be convened with the participation of local MLA, MP grama Panchayath president and various environmental organizations. The Chief Minister also said that the district collector should hold meetings every month to review the ongoing conservations works and if it was found that a department is not performing as expected it should be brought to notice. --UNI

Notice against VS for breach of Assembly rules

Thiruvananthapuram: A notice for breaching Assembly rules was issued against opposition leader V S Achuthanandhan for casting allegations against the Speaker outside the Assembly. It was K Sivadasan Nair who moved a notice pointing out this. The speaker told the Assembly that the allegations raised against him was unfortunate. 'When I'm in the speaker's chair, I act unbiased,' the speaker said. I was involved in politics even before sitting in the speaker's post. He added that the speaker should not be dragged into issues in ruling and opposition entanglement. The speaker said that the Question Hour and Zero Hour were cancelled earlier too. Making statements to the media that it is for the first time that such a situation is happenning is viewed seriously. VS had said at the inauguration of the dharna held outside the House on Tuesday that the speaker is holding a umbrella to the ruling front by cancelling the Question Hour and the Zero Hour.