A Unilateral Ceasefire

HYDERABAD: The banned People8217;s War Group has unilaterally announced a month-long ceasefire and sought a reciprocal gesture from the Andhra Pradesh government. Banned since 1992, the PWG has promised to stop targetting politicians, public property and police informers. In return, apart from lifting of the ban, the naxal outfit has demanded that the state government stop police encounters and harrasment of PWG sympathisers. Indicating its willingness to talk to state home minister T.D. Gowda, this is the first time that the extremist group has responded to offers of a dialogue by the government.

Pesticides Killing Coconut Trees

BANGALORE: The Karnataka government has suspended its programme of injecting pesticides on mite-affected coconut trees after finding that unscientific pesticide treatment had damaged lakhs of them. A probe by agricultural experts will decide whether the second and third phase of the programme will be continued. The state government is trying to pass the blame to the Centre, stating that it was the Central Horticulture Research Centre which had prescribed the treatment for the trees. Following the advice, the farmers reportedly applied pesticides like Monoprotopos and Trijodos. But the trees withered away, finally dying.