TRIVANDRUM, 16 October 2006 — With the parties agreeing to delimit constituencies before the 2009 general elections, the Malabar region of Kerala is upbeat at the prospects of seven more assembly constituencies and a Parliament constituency at the cost of the southern districts. The Muslim-dominated Malappuram district underwent the biggest changes when the Delimitation Commission carved out six new Parliament constituencies and 27 assembly segments in the state. The district will send the largest number of legislators as the total number of the assembly constituencies goes up to 16 from the existing 12 and it gets a partial say in yet another Parliament constituency in addition to the existing Ponnani and Manjeri. The assembly constituencies of Nilambur, Wandoor and Eranad are now part of the proposed Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency. Kondotty, Manjeri, Malappuram, Perinthalmanna, Mankada, Vengara and Vallikkunnu assembly segments will form the Malappuram Parliament constituency. There will be no increase in the total number of seats in the state. Cannanore, Wayanad and Palghat districts will get one seat each while Pathanamthitta and Aleppey districts lose two assembly segments each and Trichur, Kottayam and Quilon one seat each. According to the 2001 census, Muslims constitute 24.7 percent of Kerala’s total population with a decadal growth rate of 24.7 percent and it was projected to be at 26.88 percent in 2004 by an unofficial survey. However, the community’s representation is just 26 in the 140-member assembly and two in the 20-member ministry headed by communist veteran V.S. Achuthanandan.
Fever Deaths Touch 140
Two more people died of chikungunya complications in Sherthala subdivision of Alleppey district yesterday taking the toll to 134 since the epidemic outbreak here last month. Health Minister P.K. Sreemathi who visited the area several times said the epidemic was under control and the number of patients visiting hospitals had come down drastically after the massive Clean Kerala drive was launched last week to check the epidemic. A federal team including experts from the World Health Organization that visited the fever-affected areas recently had in its report suggested detailed auditing of the people who died of suspected chikungunya. The mosquito-borne disease is normally not fatal and doctors say the deaths could be from secondary complications. The virus could also have undergone genetic transformation in the course of time, and this could have led to the deaths.
Farewell to Legislator
Communist Party of India-Marxist leader and legislator Mathai Chacko, who died of blood cancer Friday, was buried at the party office in his native Thiruvambady village in Calicut in the presence of a large number of mourners led by Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, senior party leaders, ministers and legislators. Chacko, 47, was admitted to hospital before the election results were announced in May and the speaker and officials went to his hospital bed in Cochin to administer him the oath for the first time in the Kerala history. He leaves behind his wife and two children. Achuthanandan said his death was a great loss to the state as well as the party.
Searches to Detect Tax Evasion
Officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and customs have conducted joint searches in several parts of the state to detect customs duty evasion. Sources said they found import of huge quantity of base oil by wrongly claiming it as rubber processing oil. However, they declined to divulge further details. A huge consignment of base oil, the basic ingredient for all varieties like automobile oil and lubricant oil were imported through major ports in the country reportedly by wrongly claiming it as rubber processing oil, thus resulting in duty evasion worth millions of rupees.
Body to Promote Medical Tourism
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has announced a ten-point agenda for Kerala to boost investments with a focus on making Kerala one of the top five destinations in the world for medical tourism. It will facilitate accreditation for Kerala hospitals to international standards and bring out a study on medical tourism, the CII deputy chairman of southern region M.L. Mohapatra said. The CII is also working for facilitation of Geographical Indication Certification for the state’s peculiar agriculture produces that would provide farmers opportunities to access global markets. It would facilitate setting up of 100 waste management projects in villages under the Clean Kerala project, contributing Rs. 10 million.
