THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, 6 January 2007 — Kerala has ruled out deployment of federal forces at the disputed Mullai Periyar dam as demanded by the neighboring Tamil Nadu state which accuses Kerala of “hindering smooth functioning” of the dam that provides water to farmers in five districts on its side.
Water Resources Minister N.K. Premachandran said it was very unfortunate that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had sent a letter to the federal government seeking deployment of central forces after miscreants damaged the parapet wall of the dam. “The TN chief minister seems to have made no proper probe into the incident before writing to the Center. It could be part of a deliberate move to build up pressure before the inter-state talks,” he said. The petition filed by Tamil Nadu against Kerala’s objections to raising the water levels in the century-old dam is to come up before the Supreme Court. The dam, administered by the Tamil Nadu authorities, is situated in Kerala.
More Farmers Commit Suicide
Three more debt-stressed farmers in Wayanad district have committed suicide. The victims were identified as Baburaj, 47, of Vengappally, Vijayan, 25, of Ellumandampuroor and Shaji, 28, of Perya. According to family sources, Baburaj owed 700,000 rupees to three different banks and had been served a notice by a bank a few days back. Shaji and Vijayan owed 100,000 rupees each to the local banks. Some 55 debt-ridden farmers committed suicide in the district last year.
Film on Expatriates
Lal Jose, director of all-time hit Classmates, has announced his next project: A film on guest workers in the Gulf. The shooting of the film Arabikkadha (Arabian Story) will begin in the UAE later this month. Jose is planning an early May release of his 10th film which has actor-writer-director Sreenivasan in the lead role and an upcoming Chinese star playing opposite to him. Dr. Iqbal Kuttippuram has written the screenplay. Others on the cast include Jagathy Sreekumar, Salim Kumar, Indrajeet, Samvrita Sunil and V. G. Muralikrishnan.
Measures to Prevent Road Accidents
Kerala would soon adopt a legislation to reduce the number of road accidents and ensure safety to passengers as well as pedestrians, Transports Minister Mathew T. Thomas has said. “When compared to other states, Kerala stands third in terms of the number of road accidents,” he said. As many as 3,281 people died in road accidents last year.
New Surgical Technique
Kochi-based Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS) has introduced a new surgical technique using endoscopic vein-harvesting during bypass surgeries for the benefit of diabetic and obese patients. A small incision of 1 cm to 1.5 cm is made at the level of the knee joint and the entire vein is harvested using a vasoview, a special type of endoscope, a statement from the hospital said. Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) surgery is done when there is a block to the blood flow through the coronary arteries. Commonly Left Internal Thoracic Artery (LIMA) and reversed sephanous veins (RSV) are harvested using an open technique, where a large skin incision is required from the ankle to the groin.
A comparative study between the two procedures has proved that there is no difference in blood flow through the minimally harvested veins and their potency when compared with the conventionally open technique.
The new technique would be a boon to diabetic patients as they have higher risk of infection. Harvesting vein conduits, using endoscope prevents large incisions and hence decreases the chance of infection, it said.
Committee to Probe Temple Graft
Kerala High Court has set up a three-member panel to probe corruption charges against the state’s biggest Hindu temple authority, Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB). Besides 1,200 temples in southern Kerala, including the famous Sabarimala hill shrine that is visited by nearly 50 million devotees every year, the autonomous temple authority also runs a number of schools, colleges and cultural institutions.
Former Supreme Court Judge K.S. Paripoornan will head the panel in which former Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director D.R. Karthikeyan and former judge Tulasidas will be members. The committee was asked to submit a report in six months on allegations of misappropriation of money donated by devotees, corruption in purchases and taking bribe while recruiting staff. The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau had earlier submitted a report to the state government on irregularities in the TDB deals.
