MALAPPURAM, 8 September 2007 — Nearly 90 expatriate investors attended the workshop organized by the Malappuram District Panchayat in association with the District Industries Center and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) last week. Experts agencies like Defense Food Research Laboratory, Mysore, Kerala Agricultural University and Spices Board, led different technical sessions at the workshop. The Malappuram District Panchayat President Arimbra Mohammed, who inaugurated the workshop, said the future of the industrially and educationally backward district lies in the hands of expatriates and their investment.
Kerala People Face Financial Risks
KOCHI, 8 September 2007 — Majority of people in Kerala have inadequate financial protection and poor saving habits, despite rising economic growth, according to a survey conducted by Max New York Life Insurance and the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER). Twenty five percent of households in Kerala keep their savings at home and 56 percent deposit it in banks. The key findings from a sample of over 63,000 Indian households and 1,954 households in Kerala and 210 households in Kochi from rural and urban areas indicate that there is little or no awareness on the need for financial protection.
Coconut Oil Not Harmful
KOCHI, 8 September 2007 — The notion that coconut causes cardiac disease is a myth, according to an expert. Per capita consumption of coconut in Kerala decreased considerably in the last 50 years but incidence of cardiac diseases has increased, Dr. D.M. Vasudevan, Principal, Amritha Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Center, said. Although coconut oil is termed as saturated fat it contains lauric acid and myristic acid of medium chain length which are totally different in properties from long chain fatty acids. It is the most easily digestible and absorbed class of fats and it does not circulate in the blood stream. It is not stored and not deposited in any tissues, he said while addressing a seminar on the health effects of the coconut.
KSIDC to Join Hands With CIDB
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, 8 September 2007 — Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) will sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) of Malaysia for setting up the Rs.6 billion, 270-acre High-Tech City at Kinaloor in Kozhikode. Within six months from the signing of the MOU the basic infrastructure facilities will be made available for the project take off, Industries Minister Elamaram Kareem said. Malaysian Works Minister Dato S. Samivelu is also expected to be present at the signing ceremony. The water supply lines, overhead tank, water treatment plant and pumping station have been set up nearby, which could be extended to the site for the High-Tech City.
Basheer Winner of KMCC Prize
JEDDAH, 8 September 2007 — Former Education Minister and State Secretary of All-India Muslim League E.T. Mohammed Basheer has won a prize instituted by KMCC (Kerala Muslim Cultural Center) activists in Jeddah from Kondotti in honor of late Raheem Mecheri, former chief editor of Chandrika newspaper. Professor M. Abdul Ali, chairman of the jury, announced its decision to award the first Mecheri prize to Basheer in appreciation of his contributions to promote public education in the state and improve the educational condition of Muslims and other minorities in the state. Born in July 1946, Basheer entered public life through Muslim Students Federation. A former trade union leader, he was elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly for the first time in 1983 from Peringalam. Basheer was education minister in the governments of K. Karunakaran, A.K. Antony and Oommen Chandy. He established three new universities in the state and introduced self-financing educational institutions in Kerala. The press conference was attended by KMCC President Rayinkutty Neerad and General Secretary Abubakar Arimbra.
