Kerala verifying reports on Mathivathani

(January 29,Thiruvananthapuram, Sri Lanka Guardian) The State Government in Kerala on Tuesday said that it was verifying reports on Mathivathani a wife of LTTE chief Parabhakarn had taken shelter in the state following escalation of fighting between LTTE and Sri Lankan Army in the island nation.

"Government did not have any official information about the whereabouts of Prabhakaran and his family and it is looking into the reports in this regard", state Home Minister Kodiyari Balakrishnan told reporters here today.

However, police stations in coastal areas have been alerted as a precautionary measure, Balakrishnan said. The government has decided to set up eight more police stations in the coastal areas to intensify surveillence, he said.

"The new police stations would start functioning within one month", he said. These police stations would be equipped with modern gadgets and boats to carry out sea patrolling. The movements of LTTE cadres, if any, in the state also would be monitored, he said.

On the increase in the number of inter-state migrant workers in Kerala, he said government was in the process of collecting details of the labourers. Traders from other states have also been asked to maintain records about the staff, if they were from other states, he added.