Page 11 - Kerala Govt

Report waste dumping on streets and earn up to Rs 2,500 in Kerala

This is part of the 'Malinya Muktham Nava Keralam' campaign to make the state garbage-free

Kerala govt orders vigilance probe against Satheesan in FCRA violation case

The Kerala government has ordered a vigilance probe against Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly, V D Satheesan, in a case related to receiving foreign funds from abroad, for a project in his constituency, allegedly violating the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA). According to government sources, the order on preliminary vigilance probe is based on the complaint lodged by an action council alleging that foreign funds were received in violation of the FCRA. The inquiry was ordered after verifying the veracity of the claims made in the complaint, sources said. After the 2018 deluge, Satheesan had initiated a project 'Punarjani', to construct houses for those who lost their houses. The complaint sought to investigate the FCRA violations and Satheesan's foreign trips seeking support for the project.

Kerala govt increases working days in state-run schools to 205 from 198

The Kerala General Education Department on Wednesday said there would be a total of 205 working days in state-run schools in the ongoing academic year 2023-24. The decision was taken during a meeting of various teachers' associations convened by General Education Minister V Sivankutty here. During the academic year 2022-23, state-run schools functioned for198 days. The existing rules and court verdicts have suggested that there should be five working days in a week, and Saturdays have been made a working day in selected weeks to ensure this. Though the government had earlier decided to increase the number of working days to 210 during the academic year, it was later revised and fixed at 205, based on the request of teachers' associations, an official statement said. There would be no change in the dates of summer holidays, it said. In the statement, the education department also rejected the propaganda that all Saturdays would now be working days in state schools. Out of the tota

Kerala govt observes World Environment Day, organises Haritha Sabhas

The Kerala government on Monday observed World Environment Day by holding Haritha Sabhas (green assemblies) and launching a campaign against plastic use across the state, among other initiatives. Kicking off the state-level Haritha Sabha, Local Self Government Department minister M B Rajesh said law enforcement needs to be strengthened to make the state garbage-free. Launching the 'Beat Plastic Pollution' campaign, a collaboration of tourism sector stakeholders and local community on World Environment Day, Tourism minister P A Mohammed Riyas said all people are duty-bound to keep the tourism centres in the state clean. Rajesh said awareness campaigns alone would not yield the desired results for the 'State with No Waste' programme. "Even as consistent campaigns and projects focus on waste disposal, total cooperation and support by the public is needed to achieve the target of making Kerala completely garbage-free by March 2024... Also, the rules and legal measures need to be enforc

Kerala govt raises ceiling on purchase of products from startups to Rs 3 cr

The Kerala government has considerably increased the ceiling on purchase of products and services from startups registered with KSUM from Rs 1 crore to Rs 3 crore in its effort to boost the state's startup ecosystem. The raising of the public procurement ceiling on the purchases by government departments, public sector undertakings (PSUs), boards, corporations, and local self-government (LSG) institutions from ventures registered under the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), was announced by it in a statement on Wednesday. KSUM is the nodal agency of the Kerala government for entrepreneurship development and incubation activities in the state. The increase in the monetary ceiling in public procurement will enable more government departments to leverage innovative technology solutions from startups, it said. As per the government order (GO) issued in this regard, the benefits enjoyed by IT-related startups have been extended to non-IT ventures as well, thereby enabling PSUs, boards, ...

Kerala CM releases progress report of LDF government for last 2 years

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday released the progress report of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, highlighting its achievements during the last two years

Kerala Minister estimates around Rs 8 cr loss in Kollam drug warehouse fire

Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Thursday said medicines and materials, worth around Rs 8 crore, were destroyed during a fire that gutted a warehouse of the state-run Kerala Medical Services Corporation Limited (KMSCL) in Kollam district last night. The district drug warehouse of KMSCL in Kollam was engulfed in fire on Wednesday night. It was a major supply source for medicines at state-run hospitals and PHCs in the district. There were no casualties in the incident. "The total loss due to the fire is estimated at Rs 8 crore. But the corporation need not suffer this much loss as the medicines are insured," she said. A comprehensive probe would be conducted into the reasons that led to the massive fire, she told reporters here. A scientific investigation report at various levels should be carried out to know how the blaze started, George said.

Will make 'The Kerala Story' tax-free if we there's a proposal: UP dy CM

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak on Sunday said if there is a proposal, the state government will make the film 'The Kerala Story' tax-free. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on May 5 credited the movie for bringing out terror conspiracies and used it to attack the Congress during an election rally in poll-bound Karnataka. Asked by reporters if the Uttar Pradesh government will make the film tax-free, Pathak, who was campaigning here for the ongoing urban body polls, said, "If a proposal comes, we will do it." "Everyone should see 'The Kerala Story'. I would appeal to all my sisters that they should watch (the film) and understand how atrocities are committed on sisters in a state," he added. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday announced to give tax-free status to 'The Kerala Story' in the state. UP BJP secretary Abhijat Mishra on Saturday organised the screening of the controversial film for around 80 college girls in the city. The BJP

Why has the upcoming movie 'The Kerala Story' courted controversy?

After the trailer of the movie, which showed a burqa-clad woman with the tagline 'Uncovering the truth that was kept hidden' was released, protests erupted in many parts of Kerala

Kerala calls for national consensus on law regarding human-animal conflict

The Kerala government has sought a national level consensus on bringing a legislation to deal with human-animal conflicts, which have been reported across the country. This comes in the wake of increase in cases of man-animal conflict in the state over the past few months. One such case involved a rogue elephant, notorious for breaking into ration shops to steal rice, which earned him the moniker 'Arikomban', and causing damage to human settlements in some areas of Idukki district in Kerala. The tusker was tranquilised on Saturday after months of uncertainty and confusion and was translocated to deep forest inside Periyar Tiger Reserve. Speaking to PTI about the operation, state Forest Minister A K Saseendran said the man-animal conflict is not new to the country and we need a national consensus to deal with the issue. "The man-animal conflict is a rising issue in the country and we need to develop a consensus at national level to formulate a law to deal with such conflicts," ...

Kerala forest dept receives 1st radio collar signal from 'Arikkomban'

The elephant, which is around 37 years old, was darted by a team of forest officials led by Chief Veterinary surgeon of Kerala forest department, Dr. Arun Zachariah on Saturday

Vijayan meets envoys of UAE, Vietnam at Kerala House in Delhi

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday met the Ambassadors of UAE and Vietnam to India and held discussions with them in New Delhi. The CM met Abdulnasser Alshaali and Nguyen Thanh Hai respectively at Kerala House in the national capital, a CMO statement here said. The discussions were held with regard to improving the foreign countries' relationship with the southern state, it said. Chief Secretary V P Joy and Officer on Special Duty Venu Rajamony were present during the meeting, it said. Vijayan had also met Ambassador of Argentina in India, Hugo Javier Gobbi on Thursday. During the meeting, the envoy had presented the Kerala CM with an Argentinian football jersey in the presence of well-known footballer from the state I M Vijayan, a CMO statement added.

PM Modi holds roadshow in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram during 2-day visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a roadshow as he arrived in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday to launch the state's first Vande Bharat Express

Kerala will become a global healthcare hub with improved services: Vijayan

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday said that the State would be transformed into a healthcare hub by providing better medical services and tourism opportunities in the sector. Vijayan said the government would take advantage of the area by exploring the global potential in the healthcare sector. An amount of Rs 30 crore has been allocated for the initial work to formulate and implement the "care policy" and prepare facilities for the same, the Chief Minister said. He was speaking after inaugurating the newly built Academic Block of the Government Medical College Hospital, Konni, near here. The Chief Minister said Kerala is a place that the world is paying attention to when it comes to advancements in the field of health. "We are a model for the world in terms of universal access to public health services. Our achievements in terms of low infant mortality rate, maternal mortality rate, and life expectancy are on par with those of developed countries," he said. Vijaya

PM Modi to dedicate nation's first water metro during Kerala visit

Water Metro is a unique urban mass transit system with the same experience and ease of travel as that of the conventional metro system. It is very useful in cities like Kochi

PM to visit 4 states next week, to launch projects worth Rs 27,000 cr

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu on April 24 and 25 to inaugurate and lay foundation stones of projects worth more than Rs 27,000 crore. During his visit, Modi will participate in the National Panchayati Raj Day celebrations at Rewa in Madhya Pradesh, inaugurate the integrated eGramSwaraj and the GeM portal for public procurement at the panchayat level and hand over around 35 lakh "SVAMITVA" property cards to the owners on Monday, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). He will also participate in a programme marking the "Griha Pravesh" of more than four lakh beneficiaries of the Centre's housing scheme for the rural poor, the statement said. The prime minister will flag off Kerala's first Vande Bharat Express train, inaugurate the Kochi Water Metro and dedicate to the nation the NAMO Medical Education and Research Institute at Silvassa in the Union Territo

Coca-Cola Company offers to return 35 acres of land to Kerala govt

Multinational beverage firm Coca Cola Company has offered to return 35 acres of land that it possesses at Plachimada in Palakkad district to the Kerala government. Juan Pablo Rodriguez Trovato, Chief Executive Officer of the Hindustan Coca Cola Beverages Private Limited, sent a letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan informing him the company's decision to hand over the property and the building there to the state, a CMO statement has said. The ruling Left front has already begun negotiations to release the land for a proposed farmer producer organisation (FPO) to be launched soon under the leadership of farmers. The beverage manufacturer was finally ready to transfer the land at the outset of the negotiations held under Power Minister K Krishnankutty, it said. The company also offered to provide technical assistance for the construction of a demo farm for the farmers there, the CMO added in a late evening release on Thursday. Coca-Cola closed down its unit at Plachimada in Marc

4 Indians including a couple from Kerala among 16 dead in Dubai fire

At least four Indians, including a couple from Kerala, were among the 16 people dead after a massive fire broke out in a residential building in Dubai that also injured nine people, a media report said on Sunday. The Dubai Civil Defence Operations Room was notified about the fire at a building in Dubai's old neighbourhood of Al Ras at 12.35 pm on Saturday, Gulf News reported. The massive fire broke out on the fourth floor of the building and began spreading to other areas, the paper said. A team from the Dubai Civil Defence headquarters arrived at the site of the blaze and began evacuating residents in the building. Teams from the Port Saeed Fire Station and the Hamriyah Fire Station were also summoned. The flames were doused by 2:42 pm (local time), the paper said. Quoting Naseer Vatanappally, an Indian social worker who was at the Dubai Police mortuary, the paper reported that four Indians, including a couple from Kerala, have been identified among the victims. So far, we have

Kerala approves new industrial policy to become hub of developed industries

The Kerala government on Wednesday approved its new industrial policy which is aimed at a quantum leap in the key production sector for making the State a hub of most developed industries. Kerala Industries Minister P Rajeev said that the Cabinet approved the new policy which would be focusing on Environmental Social Governance (ESG) investments. "One of the new significant features of Kerala's new industrial policy is, we are focusing on Environmental Social Governance (ESG) investments. We have already constituted a committee consisting of experts from Oxford and representatives of industries to frame an industry framework for Kerala," Rajeev said. He said the intention of the government is to make Kerala the leading State in attracting ESG investments. As part of the new policy various academic, cooperative and private industrial parks focusing on 22 key production sectors would be set up, the Minister said. The new policy, as part of the Industrial Revolution 4.0, has provisio

Spreading false propaganda against women's safety is not good: Vijayan

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said that some people are spreading false propaganda against women's safety across the state and promoting such things is not a good tendency