Page 10 - Kerala Government

Over 13 Sabarimala pilgrims injured as bus overturns in Kottayam, Kerala

More than 13 Sabarimala pilgrims were injured after a bus they were travelling in was involved in an accident in Kottayam district on Wednesday morning, police said. The accident occurred at Kanamala, near Erumeli, they said. The pilgrims, hailing from Kolar in neighbouring Karnataka, were proceeding to the hill shrine located in Pathanamthitta district. A senior official said as many as 43 people, including 40 pilgrims, were in the vehicle when it overturned after the driver lost control of it. Over 13 people suffered injuries, he said. Four injured pilgrims were rushed to the government medical College here, he said, adding that four persons were taken to the general hospital and some other accident victims were admitted to a nearby private hospital, the official added.

First ship berths carrying cranes from China arrive at Vizhinjam port

The first ship that arrived at Vizhinjam port here carrying cranes from China was given a water salute by the tug boats which pulled the vessel into the Rs 7,700 crore deep-water international port on Thursday, official sources said. The mammoth container handling cranes onboard the vessel would be transferred to the port on Sunday, October 15, in an official event that would be attended by Union Minister for Ports Sarbananda Sonowal and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the sources said. The vessel -- Zhen Hua 15 -- which began its journey from China at the end of August was scheduled to dock at Vizhinjam on October 4, but its journey got delayed due to bad weather conditions along its route. On reaching Indian coastal waters, it first went to Mundra port in Gujarat to offload some cranes there and then proceeded towards Vizhinjam, the sources said. It docked at Vizhinjam port at around 11.20 am, they said. The Kerala government last month had said that three more ships wou

Kerala launches insurance cover for MSME sector to safeguard businesses

In a boost to Kerala's thriving MSME sector, the state government has introduced a comprehensive insurance scheme covering Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises. This initiative aims to safeguard these businesses from various risks and instill confidence in them to thrive in a competitive business environment, an official release said here. The Department of Industries and Commerce formalised agreements with four public sector insurance companies in the presence of Minister for Industries, Law, and Coir, P Rajeeve. Emphasising the importance of this initiative, Rajeeve said this was an upfront initiative that will provide financial protection to MSMEs against all kinds of risks that can have a detrimental impact on their businesses. As of now, Kerala boasts over three lakh MSMEs, out of which approximately 1,40,000 have registered as part of the government's Year of Enterprises initiative. However, only around 15,000 of them have insurance coverage against various risks. Suman Bil

Kerala govt announces cash rewards for 2018 Asian Games medalists

The Kerala government on Wednesday announced Rs 10 lakh cash incentive for state athlete Anu R, who was recently declared to have won a bronze medal in the 18th Asian Games held in Jakarta in 2018. Anu received the bronze medal in the hurdles after a Bahraini athlete, who had earlier won the medal, was banned after failing the dope test, a CMO statement said here. The Kerala government had announced Rs 20 lakh cash award for the gold medal winners, Rs 15 lakh for silver and Rs 10 lakh for bronze medalists during the 2018 Asian Games. Similarly, Muhammad Anas, who was declared as the winner of the gold medal by the organisers in the mixed relay competition in the same event, would also be given the remaining amount of Rs five lakh, it said. Anas's silver medal turned into gold as the person who had earlier come in first place was banned after finding out he used drugs, the statement added.

Despite recent heavy rains Kerala still deficient in monsoon rainfall: IMD

Despite heavy rains lashing several parts of Kerala in the last few days, the state is still deficient in monsoon rainfall, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said. Kerala received 34 per cent deficient rainfall during the south-west monsoon this year while the country as a whole got six per cent deficit rains. As the south-west monsoon is now in the withdrawal phase, the rains are expected to reduce from Wednesday, October 4, onwards, IMD sources said. The heavy rains which lashed many parts of Kerala on Tuesday were due to the low pressure system over Jharkhand, they said and added that the withdrawal of the monsoon was complete in three to four states of north-west India. "The conditions are favourable for the withdrawal of the south-west monsoons. The rains will reduce from tomorrow," K Santhosh, director of the Regional Meteorological Centre, Trivandrum told PTI. He said Lakshadweep received a 15 per cent deficit rainfall but that is considered normal. "Upto 19 pe

'Early detection, effective treatment helped control Nipah mortality rate'

Kerala Health Minister Veena George has said that the effective and timely intervention of the state health system brought down the Nipah fatality rate to 33 per cent in its fourth outbreak. She made the statement in the wake of all four Nipah-infected persons recovering from the zoonotic illness. The government on Friday announced that a nine-year-old boy, who was among those under treatment for Nipah in Kozhikode, had recovered. The virus strain seen in Kerala was the Bangladesh variant, which generally has a high mortality rate, George said in a Facebook post on Friday night. This variant can cause death among 70-90 per cent of the infected people. "However, we have lost the lives of two out of the total six affected persons in Kozhikode, which means we have a relatively low death rate of 33.3 per cent," the minister said. The relatively early identification of patients and treatment using antiviral drugs may be the reasons for the low mortality rate, she said. Another signifi

Kerala govt withdraws Nipah related restrictions in northern Kozhikode

The Kerala government has withdrawn containment in all zones and allied restrictions imposed in northern Kozhikode district as no new cases of Nipah virus have been reported here since September 16. In a Facebook post on Tuesday, District Collector A Geetha said all schools located in the areas that fell within containment zones would be opened and regular classes would commence on Wednesday. However, the collector urged people to continue their vigil against the virus infection, maintain social distancing and ensure the use of masks and sanitizer. All the institutions in the district had been closed since September 14, and online classes were being held after the virus outbreak was declared in the state on September 12. The district administration advised students to wear masks and carry hand sanitizers when going to their respective educational institutions. A total of six people were confirmed to have been infected by the virus till date, and of them, two died. Of the two deat

Kerala's left govt starts regional review meetings to assess performance

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his Cabinet colleagues started their state-wide regional review meeting here on Tuesday in order to assess the public mood and review the performance of the state government. Vijayan chaired the south regional review meeting that would discuss various programmes of the government and would also seek the opinion of the public regarding the implementation of the same, official sources said here. The South regional review meeting includes the districts of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, and Pathanamthitta. All senior officials of government departments, apart from district collectors from the three districts and ministers from these districts were present at the review meeting. NGOs and prominent social workers were also invited to the meeting. The media was not allowed to cover the details of the review meeting. After the meeting of government department officials, a review meeting with senior police officials of these districts will be held i

PFI money laundering case: ED conducted searches at 12 locations in Kerala

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday conducted raids at several locations linked to former members of the banned Islamist outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) across the state. Searches are underway at various places in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Malappuram and Wayanad districts of the state, police said. The houses of former PFI leaders Abdul Samad and Latheef were also searched in Wayanad and Thrissur districts, they said. According to sources, the raids were launched to ascertain the alleged source of funding for the banned outfit. The central government had on September 28, 2022 declared the PFI as an 'unlawful association' under UAPA and imposed a ban on it for five years.

No fresh Nipah positive cases, 42 more negative results: Kerala govt

The Kerala government on Sunday said that there were no fresh Nipah positive cases with test results of 42 samples, of persons in the high risk contact list, coming out negative. The negative results were announced by State Health Minister Veena George while speaking to reporters here this morning. She said test results of more samples are awaited and may be available during the day. Asked how long the vigilance and caution needs to bebe exercised since no new positive cases are being reported, the minister said according to the guidelines and protocols it is 42 days from the last positive case. The incubation period of the virus is 21 days and therefore, "a double incubation period of 42 days from the last positive case" is considered as the period during which caution has to be exercised, George said. Police help will be sought to complete contact tracing as many persons who may have been in the area visited by those infected, deny having been there when called over phone. "So

Kerala Court rejects plea seeking vigilance probe against CM Vijayan

A court here on Saturday dismissed a plea seeking vigilance inquiry against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter and others in connection with alleged financial transactions between a private mineral company and her IT firm. The Special Vigilance Court in Muvattupuzha dismissed the petition filed by social activist Gireesh Babu, for want of evidence, sources said. The petition sought an investigation into the "illegal financial transactions, coming under the ambit of bribery, carried out between the accused persons," in connection with mining and other "business interests" of Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL). Apart from Veena T and Vijayan, the petition had also arraigned former leader of Opposition in the state Assembly and senior Congress leader, Ramesh Chennithala, Indian Union Muslim League leaders P K Kunhalikutty and V K Ibrahimkunju, Veena's IT firm, CMRL and others. A controversy had erupted recently over certain financial transactions between CMRL and the Chi

Kerala govt commences distribution of social security to 6 mn beneficiaries

The Kerala government has initiated the distribution of social security, welfare board pension for the months of May and June in the state, in view of the upcoming Onam festival season. The Left government will be distributing Rs 3,200 each to around 60 lakh beneficiaries and allotted Rs 1,762 crore for this, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in a Facebook post on Saturday. The Left government has been providing welfare board pension of Rs 1,600 each to beneficiaries every month and is currently disbursing the amount for the months of May and June. "Around 60 lakh people will receive Rs 3,200 each as social security pension to celebrate Onam. The state government has set aside Rs 1,762 crore, including Rs 212 crore for the welfare board pension, despite the Union Govt's suspension of funds since 2021. Disbursement will be completed by August 23," Vijayan said in a Facebook post. Attacking the union government, he claimed that even though it has not released its share towa

African swine flu reported in Kerala hamlet; pigs ordered to be culled

An outbreak of African swine flu has been reported in Kanichar village in this north Kerala district, following which the district Collector ordered culling of pigs in two farms there. The district animal husbandry official confirmed the flu at a private farm located at Malayampadi on Friday. Subsequently, the district authorities ordered culling of the pigs there and in another nearby farm located in a 10km radius, and bury the carcasses as per protocols. An area of one km around the pig farm, where the infection had been detected, was declared as an infected area and a radius of 10km as a disease surveillance zone, official sources said. Distribution and sale of pork in the area and its transportation to other places have been banned for three months, they said. The Collector, the chairman of the district disaster management authority, also asked the local authorities to submit an urgent report to confirm whether the pigs from the affected farm were transported to other farms in

Kerala adopts resolution urging Centre to rename state as 'Keralam'

The Kerala assembly on Wednesday unanimously adopted a resolution urging the Centre to officially change the state's name to 'Keralam'. The resolution was moved by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who urged the central government to change the state's name to 'Keralam' in all languages included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India. The resolution was accepted by the Congress-led UDF opposition which did not suggest any amendments or modifications in it. Subsequently, it was declared as unanimously adopted by the assembly by Speaker A N Shamseer based on a show of hands. Presenting the resolution, the CM said that the state was called 'Keralam' in Malayalam, but in other languages it was still Kerala. He said that the need to form a united Kerala for the Malayalam speaking communities had strongly emerged since the time of the national freedom struggle. "But the name of our state is written as Kerala in the First Schedule of the Constitution." "This Assembly unanimo

Kerala CM moves resolution in assembly against imposition of UCC in country

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday moved a resolution in the state assembly against the BJP-led central government's plan to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the country. After the resolution was moved by the Chief Minister, several amendments and modifications were suggested by the Congress-led opposition UDF that welcomed the Left government's move. The Chief Minister said the Kerala Legislative Assembly was concerned and dismayed at the Cente's move to impose UCC and termed the action as "unilateral and hasty". The CPI(M)-led government's decision came amid an ongoing campaign against the UCC by both the ruling Left and the opposition UDF in the state, as well as various religious organisations in the state. Both the fronts had organised seminars separately in Kozhikode recently against the UCC, in which the representatives of various religious outfits took part. The Law Commission of India had last month received submissions from the public regarding ..

Centre creating obstacles in Kerala's development: CM Vijayan in Assembly

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday accused the Centre of creating obstacles in the state's development by its various policies like considering loans taken by KIIFB as debt of the state. Speaking in the Assembly, the Chief Minister alleged that the Centre was arbitrarily adding loans taken by the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) to that of the state, resulting in reduction of the borrowing limits of the government. The response from Vijayan in the House came while answering a query regarding projects being funded by KIIFB and their status. He also gave details of the extensive funding of numerous projects in the state across various sectors like infrastructure, roads, fisheries, education and coastal area development among others. The Chief Minister further said that development projects that the state intends to carry out will be done by the government despite "hurdles" created by the Centre. Vijayan said that while the huge borrowings by the ...

Kerala Guv, top actors, politicians pay tribute to departed Oommen Chandy

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, top Malayalam movie stars and senior politicians cutting across party lines paid tributes to former state Chief minister Oommen Chandy after his mortal remains reached Kottayam on Thursday. Movie stars Mammootty, Suresh Gopi and Dileep paid tributes to the mortal remains of the Congress stalwart here. After paying tribute to Chandy, Governor Khan spent some time with his family members. Meanwhile, award-winning Malayalam actor Vinayakan landed in trouble for his alleged unpleasant remarks against the late Chandy. A Congress activist lodged a police complaint against the actor's comments on the departed political leader, even as his "who is this Oommen Chandy?" remarks did not go down well with many. At Kottayam, the police and Seva Dal workers of Congress as well as its leaders could barely control the sea of people who vied with each other to get a final glimpse of Chandy, who died in Bengaluru on Tuesday. Besides the thousands inside the ..

Kerala CM to inaugurate KSUM's first Infinity Centre in Dubai today

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the first Infinity Centre of Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) in Dubai on Sunday, rolling out his government's ambitious programme of setting up one-stop destinations across the world to strengthen the state's ecosystem for nascent companies. Vijayan, who is on a tour to US and Cuba, will arrive in Dubai to take part in the event. Chief Secretary V P Joy will chair the ceremony at Taj, Burj Khalifa, a KSUM release said, adding that the event will mark the start of a series of such launch pads for Kerala's startups to explore foreign markets by enabling non-resident Indians to help become entrepreneurs in association with KSUM. "The idea of Infinity Centres comes in the context of NRIs totalling 3.2 crore, topping India in the global list of hosting the largest number of migrant citizens," the release said. "Adding about $78 billion in remittance to the Indian economy, they play a huge role in the development of India. Considering

Kerala launches KFON to bridge digital divide with affordable internet

With an estimated cost of Rs 1,611 crore, KFON aims to ensure internet connectivity for approximately 2 million BPL households

Kerala to evaluate ongoing 'no waste' campaign on World Environment Day

The Kerala government on Saturday said it will hold Haritha Sabhas (green assemblies) across the state as part of World Environment Day on June 5, to evaluate the outcome of the 'State with No Waste' campaign held from March 15 to June 1, and to lay down the road map for the future. The Haritha Sabhas, one of India's largest awareness campaigns, will be held with the active participation of the Local Self Government (LSG) Institutions, the LSG department said. "This is for the first time a state in the country is observing the World Environment Day for assessing waste disposal measures taken by all the LSGIs along with spreading its message," the LSGD said in a release. The campaign, planned to be implemented in three phases, was aimed at making all the LSGIs in the state garbage-free by 2024, it said. The Haritha Sabhas will also create a platform for educating citizens about the importance of waste management in society. The Haritha Sabhas are massive exercises planned, expecti