12 self-financing engg. colleges sanctioned

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JULY 25. The Cabinet on Wednesday cleared the proposal for 12 new self-financing engineering colleges in the State.

The Chief Minister, Mr. A. K. Antony, told presspersons after a Cabinet meeting that the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) had already given viability certificates for the colleges. So they could start functioning this year itself. These were in the private sector except for the women's engineering college proposed to be set up by the LBS Centre for Science and Technology.

He announced that Master of Computer Application (MCA) courses would be permitted in 11 colleges this year as proposed earlier. Additionally five unaided colleges-four under the Mahatma University and one under the Calicut University, would be sanctioned M.Sc. (Computer Science) and M.Com. courses.

From next year, the Government would permit starting of medical, engineering, dental colleges, besides MCA and business management courses, in the private sector on a self-financing basis. Corporation managements and trusts could apply for starting such colleges next year. Individuals would not be permitted to run such colleges. The Government would decide on the number of colleges to be permitted after receiving the applications.

He said the Government proposed to permit the colleges so that students from the State would not have to go to other States for professional education. The admissions here would be done in a transparent manner. The Government would specify clear norms in this respect. Decisions were yet to be taken for minority status to such institutions run by minority communities.

He said the State had not gained anything by sticking to the ideal that it would not permit any self-financing institutions in the private sector. Hence, the Government was sanctioning such colleges under stringent conditions. He was sure the people would approve of the Government's good intentions.

Central team to assess damage

The Chief Minister said a nine-member Central team would be visiting the State from July 28 to assess the damage caused by the monsoon. The team would visit affected areas across the State.

The Cabinet, Mr. Antony said, had decided to grant two weeks rations to tribals who were suffering on account of the heavy rain and floods. People in the coastal areas would be given a week's ration free on the basis of the assessment of the Collectors. People there were starving because of the angry sea and floods. The Centre had released an emergency relief assistance of Rs. 22 crores to the State to meet the situation.

The Housing Board, he said, would issue bonds under Government guarantee to clear its arrears with the Hudco. The arrears in repayments from various agencies receiving assistance from the Hudco had led to the stoppage of assistance to the State by Hudco from March this year. This had seriously affected several development works in the State. The bonds, with coupon rates of 10.75 per cent to 11 per cent, would have a maturity period of three to five years.

He said the Government Secretary, Mr. T. Balakrishnan, would be given additional charge of Tourism, as the present Tourism Secretary, Mr. Amitabh Kant, was going on deputation to the Centre. The KSIDC chairman, Mr. Jiji Thomson, would be given additional charge of Non-resident Keralites' Affairs Department. The Secretary of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Ms. Sharmila Mary Joseph, would be posted as the Director of Social Welfare. The Director of Municipal Administration, Mr. K. R. Viswambharan, would be posted as the Programme Officer of the Kerala Horticulture Development Programme.

The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Mr. Surendranathan Asari, would be promoted as head of the Department.

Caving in of wells

According to a PTI report, the Government today urged the Centre to send a team of scientists to study the phenomenon of wells caving in, reported from different parts of the State.

A preliminary study by the Centre for Earth Science Studies (CESS), has called for a detailed examination of the phenomenon, which had created panic among the people, the Chief Minister, Mr. A. K. Antony, said during his Cabinet briefing.

The State did not have sufficient wherewithal to under take such a detailed study, he added.

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