Kerala Livestock Development Board To Promote Milk And Meat Production

Trivandrum: Kerala Livestock Development Board (KLD) organized a National workshop on “New Initiatives on Milk and Meat Production by Conservation and Propagation of Indigenous Breeds of Animals” on January 23, 2012 at Mascot Hotel.

The workshop aims at sharing the experiences of the KLD Board in conservation of milch breeds like Gir, Sahiwal, Kankrej, Vechur, dual Purpose breeds like Malabari and Attapady Black breeds of goats, Meat purpose breeds like Angamaly pigs and other indigenous breeds with stake holders across the country to gain experience from them.

“I am very happy on the “Innovative Initiatives of KLD board for the conservation and propagation of native breeds of Livestock “in the country. Government of India is very liberal in sanctioning conservation projects to KLD Board. We have already sanctioned Conservation projects of Malabari goat, Attappady Black Goat, and Angamali Pigs and happy to note that Board has implemented the projects very successfully and NABCONS have evaluated the conservation projects and reported to Government of India that implementation of these conservation projects are excellent,” said Professor K V Thomas, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution in his inaugural address.

source:http://www.yentha.com/news/view/1/kerala-livestock-development-board-to-promote-milk-and-meat-production

Govt to ensure free service roads

The chief minister Mr Oommen Chandy on Monday said the government would ensure 80-km-long free service roads before allowing toll collection on the widened Angamaly-Mannuthy stretch of National Highway 47.

Addressing the first meeting of the monitoring committee constituted on the works related to the widening of the NH stretch, the chief minister said all promises would be met by the government before the toll.

Mr Chandy said the Cabinet would take a decision on when to start the toll collection. It would also look into the complaints that the toll rate was high compared to the cost.

Another contentious issue was the move of the private company to collect toll from Edapally-Angamaly stretch too though its widening was undertaken by the government. The CM said that the Cabinet would look into this issue as well.

A public protest had led to the suspension of toll collection at the Palliakkara toll plaza on the road about a month ago immediately after it was introduced.

Another attempt to introduce the toll from January 18 also did not succeed due to the protest. The monitoring committee was formed subsequently.

source:http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/kochi/govt-ensure-free-service-roads-337

Strikes make male nurses castaways

KOCHI: The strike by nurses across the country for better pay and other benefits seem to have taken a toll on the prospects of male nurses. Blaming them for inciting agitations, the private hospital managements are now ticking off the names of male nurses from their employee list. The worst-affected are those working in cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata.

Many of them from Kerala have already returned home as they had signed bonds giving the management the right to sack them without notice. The situation is no different in the state where male nurses add up to 5% of the total nursing population. Recently a multi-specialty hospital in the state capital advertised in the media with a footnote forbidding the male nurses from applying for vacancies. Two major hospitals in Kochi too have given red card to male nurses.

According to S V Biju, programme chairperson of Trained Nurses Association of India, Kerala branch, since almost all hospitals outside the state insist on signing bonds, many male nurses have lost their jobs after the strikes began. "There is a general notion that male nurses are instrumental in precipitating strikes," he said.

The nationwide strike had also made ripples in the state. Nurses from hospitals in Kollam, Kochi, and Thrissur agitated against exploitation by hospital managements. Last week, the nurses of Little Flower Hospital in Angamaly too came out in protest against the management's move to deny employment after training.

Sobin Jose, a resident of Cherthala who lost his job in a private hospital in Delhi, has looking for employment in the state. But the hospitals in state too are not keen in hiring male nurses. "I tried many hospitals in Kochi, but all private institutions now prefer female nurses," said Sobin. He is now trying for a job with the Co-operative Medical College. "If I do not succeed in that, I will try a job abroad," he said.

Many male nurses who were waiting for a job offer after clearing their interviews are now getting rejection slips from the hospital managements. For nursing students who spend Rs 4-6 lakh for their BSc nursing courses, this is bad news. The only alternative for them is to seek job in the government sector.

Meanwhile, the hospital managements in the state have denied any such discrimination. "We have not taken any decision against employing male nurses. In our meetings many said that male nurses are behind the strikes," said Husain Koya Thangal, state general secretary of the Kerala Private Hospitals' Association. He said that hospitals cannot do without male nurses as their services are required mainly in post-operative wards.


source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/Strikes-make-male-nurses-castaways/articleshow/11610130.cms