TRIVANDRUM, 27 August 2006 — Kerala’s Left Democratic Front (LDF) government headed by Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan completed 100 days in power yesterday while a research group said the government’s popularity has come down. A.C. Nielson survey across the 14 districts, commissioned by a leading regional media group, said most of the 2000-odd respondents felt the performance of both the chief minister as well as his government was far from expectation. The coalition led by the Communist Party of India-Marxist came to power May 18 on a popular wave against the Congress-led government. However, there was no let up in suicides of farmers, custodial deaths and growing crime graph and they have in fact risen sharply. Some 24 debt-stressed farmers committed suicide while 13 died in lockups or police-related atrocities in 100 days. Professional colleges are yet to complete admissions thanks to a long-drawn legal battle with private colleges and the state’s finances are in a shambles while one senior minister is facing a midair sleaze charge from a former television newscaster.
Woman Cop Begins Probe
Inspector General B. Sandhya who was appointed by Chief Minster V.S. Achuthanandan to conduct a preliminary inquiry into allegations that Works Minister P.J. Joseph had misbehaved with a woman passenger on a flight has begun her probe from the Cochin airport. Sandhya held discussions with officials of the airport and Kingfisher Airlines on which Joseph and the woman flew down from Madras on Aug. 3. She also checked the seating arrangement in the aircraft that arrived here yesterday. A woman passenger had alleged that the minister made sexual advances against her when the lights dimmed for the takeoff. Meanwhile, a local court asked both the minister and the complainant to appear before it on September 8.
New Passport Office
India’s junioforeign minister E. Ahamed will inaugurate the new passport office in the northern town of Malappuram tomorrow. The office is expected to serve applicants for passports and other related services residing in Malappuram and Palghat districts. A spokesman for the Passport Office in Calicut, which now serves applicants from these districts, said those who have submitted their applications at the passport office in Calicut would have to contact the Calicut office to obtain their passport and documents. The office in Malappuram will be open from Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1.30 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. The office is located at Intercity Arcade, Kizhakkethala, Down Hill, Malappuram. Tel: 0483-2739701-04; Fax: 0483-2739705; e-mail: [email protected].
Run for Records
A 26-year-old man in Kerala who drives autorikshaw (three-wheeled Indian cab) is preparing to run a thousand kilometers to secure a place in the Limca Book of Records. R.S. Vinod, a winner of several middle distance and long distance races at state and national levels, hopes to cover the distance in 15-20 days. “I have won awards and taken part in three national athletic meets, but I have to still drive an autorickshaw to earn my livelihood,” he said. “This 1000-km run is yet another effort to draw the attention of the authorities who I hope will give me a job,” Vinod said.
Local Opposition
Landowners in the area earmarked for Dubai Internet City’s proposed Smart City, an exclusive zone for software industry in Cochin, have launched an indefinite strike in front of the existing Info Park run by the state. They wanted their plots spared and the government should find an alternative land in fallow areas. Of the 136 acres of land to be taken over for the project, 100 acres will be acquired in the first phase. The land prices in the area were going through the roof since the project was announced. However, the government was willing to pay at the rates fixed by a committee it appointed.
BPCL Plans
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) plans to invest 50 billion rupees in its newly merged Kochi Refineries Ltd (KRL) in the port city of Cochin. The proposals include setting up a new polypropylene plant, upgrading the quality of the bitumen plant, capacity addition from 7.5 to 10 million tons by 2009, and completion of the single buoy mooring facility (SBM) in 2007. KRL’s current capacity of 7.5 million tons is higher than the state’s existing demand, estimated at four million tons. However, with the merger, BPCL would be able to evacuate products from the refinery to a larger geographical area through an established network. The merged entity is expected to achieve greater efficiency through optimization of product mix and rationalization of logistics for product movement from the refinery at Kochi. BPCL is an equity partner of Cochin International Airport and it provides hydrant facilities for aircraft fueling at the airport. It has laid 308-km of pipeline from Cochin to Karur via Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu for evacuating about 3.3 million tons surplus from KRL. BPCL as the equity partner in Petronet LNG is investing a huge capital for the first LNG import terminal Cochin for which Qatar will be providing LNG.
Dutch Woman Attacked
A Dutch woman was attacked in her hotel room by Maoists in the northern town of Iritty in Cannanore district. Police said Luisa Johanna, 26, who was on a study tour of wildlife and tribal population at the Aaralam farm in the district, was manhandled by activists of the Adivasi Vimochana Munnani and Janakeeya Vimochana Munnani. Following a complaint lodged by the victim, 15 activists, including three women, were arrested, Iritty Circle Inspector Prince Abraham said. The activists alleged that the woman had some “ulterior motive” like espionage in visiting the tribal dominated area. They said her visit was intended to gather information about the cultivation methods using bio-fertilizers to secure patents for such products for her country. However, the police suspect that the activists “manhandled” the woman to settle scores with the proprietor of the hotel, where the woman and her guide were staying. The hotel owner reportedly failed to pay money as sought by the miscreants.
