Page 3 - Kerala Govt

Kerala's liquidity stress due to decline in union fiscal transfers: Guv

The budget session of the Kerala assembly commenced on Friday with Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar reading out the Left government's policy which claimed that the state was facing a liquidity stress due to declining share of union fiscal transfers. In his policy address marking the commencement of the 13th session of the 15th Kerala Legislative Assembly, Arlekar said the state "has been facing stress on government finances" despite taking "earnest measures" for revenue mobilisation and rationalising expenses. The reason for this was the "tapering of revenue deficit grants and cessation of GST compensation", he said while reading out the policy address prepared by the state government. Arlekar said that the state government has highlighted problems faced by it and the ameliorative measures to the 16th Finance Commission in a detailed memo. Besides this, the Governor said the state government was also committed to rehabilitation of all those affected by the devastating landslide

Kerala announces rehabilitation project for Wayanad landslide survivors

The Kerala government on Wednesday approved a comprehensive rehabilitation project for survivors of devastating landslides in Wayanad district that killed over 200 people last July. The project involves setting up two townships to provide a safe and sustainable living environment for those affected by the disaster. Addressing a press conference after the cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the two townships, proposed in two selected plantation estates in Kalpetta and Kottappady, would have all basic amenities, including houses, schools, health centres, anganwadis, markets, parking areas, playgrounds, drinking water, sanitation facilities, and so on. The CM addressed the press conference to detail the proposed project, which, he said, would be completed in a time-bound manner. He said rehabilitation does not mean just providing a house but it would compromise all possible livelihood means to help the survivors to move on with their lives. All those who come forwar

What is blood money, key to saving Kerala nurse from death row in Yemen?

The Quran encourages forgiveness and compensation to the victim's family as preferable alternatives to retribution. This system is called 'diyya,' which loosely refers to 'blood money.'

Centre, state govt need to take initiative: Kerala LoP on Nimisha Priya

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) earlier in the day confirmed its awareness of the death sentence handed to Nimisha Priya and assured that the government is providing all possible assistance

Glad Shah declared Wayanad tragedy as 'Disaster of Severe Nature': Priyanka

Centre had informed the state of Kerala that the Meppadi landslide disaster in Wayanad district has been considered by the Inter-Ministerial Central Team as a disaster of 'severe nature'

Kerala's eventful 2024 marred by disasters, scandals and political twists

The devastating landslides that wiped away three villages in Wayanad, Congress' thumping victory in the Lok Sabha polls and AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's maiden electoral victory were the significant events that shaped the Kerala's socio-political scenario in 2024. The revelations of sexual abuse and harassment in the Malayalam film industry, brought to light by the Justice Hema Committee report, also stirred up the political pot due to the delay in disclosing the panel's findings, which followed allegations of rape against some key actors, including ruling CPI(M) MLA and actor M Mukesh. On 30 July, massive landslides occurred in the Chooralmala and Mundakkai regions of Wayanad, triggered by torrential rains, resulting in over 200 deaths, numerous injuries, and thousands being left homeless. It is considered one of the worst natural disasters in Kerala's history. Hundreds were left buried under the debris and many had to be pulled out by rescue agencies, which ...

Consider excluding Rs 120 cr from airlift charges: Kerala HC to Centre

The Kerala High Court on Wednesday asked the Centre whether it can exclude around Rs 120 crore from the Rs 132 crore demanded as airlift charges for rescue operations carried out by the IAF in the state since 2006. A bench of Justices A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and Easwaran S said if the Rs 120 crore was freed up in this manner, the amount can be utilised immediately for the rehabilitation of the landslide victims in Wayanad. The bench asked the Centre to consider giving permission to temporarily free up the Rs 120 crore and relaxing the NDRF/SDRF norms so that the amount can be utilised for the rehabilitation purpose. "It is for a noble cause, so the central government should not have a problem," the court said and listed the matter on January 10, 2025 to await the Centre's response on the aspect. During the hearing, the bench also said that the sending of the bill of Rs 132 crore as airlift charges in October right after the state sought financial assistance from the Centre for ...

Wayanad landslide: Union govt 'adding chilli' to wounds, says Kerala FM

Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal on Sunday criticised the union government for demanding payment for disaster relief and rescue operations conducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) during Wayanad landslides. He described the move as "adding chilli to the wounds" of the state, already burdened by the aftermath of the disaster. Addressing reporters here, Balagopal accused the BJP-ruled Centre of "failing" to provide even the funds it had promised to the state for disaster relief. The Finance Minister alleged that this was akin to mocking the people of the state. "In addition to such an approach, a new bill has been introduced in the name of the Air Force," he said. "Really, this approach is like adding chilli to a serious wound," Balagopal added. He also questioned the stance of BJP leaders, including Union Minister Suresh Gopi and former Union Minister V Muraleedharan, on the issue affecting Kerala. Balagopal made these remarks in response to queries regarding a letter dated O

CM Vijayan urges expansion of Kerala-TN model cooperative on states' rights

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said that the cooperation between Kerala and Tamil Nadu is based on the principles of cooperative federalism and called for its expansion to other states to curb frequent interventions in their rights. He was delivering the keynote address at the public meeting held at Vaikom Beach in this district after his Tamil Nadu counterpart M K Stalin inaugurated the renovated Thanthai Periyar Memorial and Periyar Library, established in honour of Dravidar Kazhagam founder E V Ramasamy. Vijayan, who shares a special friendship with Stalin, said the collaboration between Kerala and Tamil Nadu is a testament to cooperative federalism, highlighting the enduring bond between the two states. "This cooperation cannot be described in mere words and is demonstrated through actions," he added. In the current scenario, where there are frequent interventions on the rights of the states, especially economic autonomy, this cooperation should be extended

Kerala seeks 50% share of divisible tax pool: Central Finance Committee

The request comes as the state seeks a larger share of the Rs 616.41 crore divisible pool

CPI(M) offices can be demolished overnight, warns Cong's Kerala chief

A day after a Congress office was allegedly vandalised in this Kerala district, the party's state chief K Sudhakaran on Sunday warned that CPI(M) offices could be demolished overnight. Addressing party workers at the inauguration of a new Congress office in Venduttayi, which had allegedly been vandalised by unidentified people on Saturday, Sudhakaran claimed it would only take 10 Congress workers to "bring down" CPI(M) offices in a single night. "We do not promote violence but, if you say it is required, we will retaliate in the same way," he said. "Ten Congress workers will be sent at night and they are enough to demolish CPI(M) offices," Sudhakaran told the party workers. Late on Saturday, a new Congress booth committee office at Venduttayi, near Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's hometown of Pinarayi, was allegedly vandalised. The Congress has accused the CPI(M) of orchestrating the vandalism. Sudhakaran also took a dig at Vijayan and urged him to uphold the dignity expected of

We will not disturb Adani port at Vizhinjam: Kerala industries minister

Says Kerala does not see labour unrest unlike many other states

Kerala HC criticises Centre, state on lack of clarity in Wayanad relief aid

The Kerala High Court on Friday criticised the Centre and state governments for lack of clarity regarding the disaster relief and rehabilitation fund accounts in connection with the landslides that hit Wayanad in July this year. A bench of Justices A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and Mohmmed Nias C P directed that the Finance Officer of the State Disaster Management Authority be present in person on Saturday to present the accounts. The court also posed several queries, including how much funds were required for reconstruction and rehabilitation of the landslides-hit areas of Wayanad and the amount of financial assistance to be provided by the Centre, to which it wanted answers. The queries also included how much amount was there in the relief fund before the disaster, how much was available for use out of it and what portion of the amount allocated by the Centre was utilised. The bench said once these queries are addressed, it will issue further directions. The queries from the court ca

Wayanad landslide: No information on Centre's relief aid, says Kerala govt

Stepping up its attack on the union government over the lack of assistance for the landslide survivors of Wayanad, the Kerala government on Sunday said it was yet to get any information regarding the amount to be allotted to the state for their relief and rehabilitation. The Left government reminded that the state and the Centre were not enemy nations, but part of the same Constitution and requested the Centre to act as a "guardian angel" during the time of tragedies. Revenue Minister K Rajan said the state government has submitted all the details in connection with the landslide and the union government has not notified it so far if there was any mistake in the figures provided by them. The figures of the loss suffered during the landslide had to be submitted by the state initially and it was done without any fail, he told reporters here. Later, the state had submitted the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) in accordance with the norms. There was also no information about the

Chances of HIV high in Kerala despite low density of infections: CM Vijayan

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday said though the southern state has low density of HIV-affected persons, the odds of contracting the infection is very high there. The disease prevention activities and awareness programmes have great significance and the state government is making various interventions to keep the disease at bay, he said in a Facebook post marking the "World AIDS Day" today. The CM said the day was a reminder to ensure public participation in the rehabilitation of HIV-infected persons across the world and to contain the spread of the disease. He pointed out that as per the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, it is necessary to create a situation where there are no new cases of the disease by 2030. But, Kerala is going to achieve this target much earlier, he said adding that the LDF government is making comprehensive interventions through the campaign "Onnayi Poojayathilekk" (loosely translated as "Together to Zero") as part of this. "We ar

1,500 Kerala govt staff found drawing pensions meant for the poor and old

Kerala is not alone in witnessing fraud within social security pension schemes. Other states have faced similar issues

Vizhinjam Port set for December commissioning; Kerala govt extends timeline

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday announced the signing of a supplementary concession agreement with Adani Vizhinjam Port Pvt Ltd, extending the project timeline by five years. The Vizhinjam International Seaport is now slated for commissioning in December 2024. The project, envisioned as a transformative step in Kerala's maritime infrastructure, will see its second and third phases nearing completion by 2028. These phases will involve an additional investment of Rs 10,000 crore, expanding the port's capacity to 30 lakh Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEU). "We have entered a supplementary concession agreement with Adani Vizhinjam Port PVT LTD on @PortOfVizhinjam to extend the project period for 5 yrs & commission the port by December. As the 2nd & 3rd phases near completion by 2028, an investment of ?10,000 crore will be made, expanding the port's capacity to 30 lakh TEU," Vijayan said in a post on 'X'. "This milestone underlines our commitment to comprehensive

Swami Chatbot gets great response from devotees in Kerala's Sabarimala

Chatbot offers assistance to the devotees on various fronts, including a food chart for pilgrims, informs about the timings for the temple's closing and opening, and KSRTC bus schedule

Kerala govt to examine controversial WhatsApp group formed for IAS officers

The Kerala government will examine the incident involving the controversial formation of a WhatsApp group for Hindu IAS officers, State Industries Minister P Rajeeve said on Monday. His statement followed a complaint lodged by an IAS officer with the police, alleging that his personal WhatsApp number was hacked and used to create a religious group. Responding to the controversy, Rajeeve said that the state government would investigate the formation of a group specifically for Hindu IAS officers. Describing the incident as "serious," he said that community-based divisions are highly concerning. "The government will look into this matter. There is a general code of conduct for IAS officers, which falls under the Public Administration department. We are currently examining the situation. Let's review and determine what needs to be done," he told reporters in New Delhi on Monday. The controversy arose after an IAS officer lodged a complaint with the police, claiming his personal Whats

Suresh Gopi dares Kerala govt to seek CBI probe into Thrissur Pooram

Amid controversy over his use of an ambulance to reach the Thrissur Pooram venue after hearing that the festival was disrupted, Union Minister Suresh Gopi on Thursday detailed the sequence of events leading to the incident and demanded a CBI probe into the entire episode. Gopi, the Union Minister of State for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Tourism, while not refuting the allegations that he reached the festival site in an ambulance, claimed that he reached close to the festival site in his car, which was then attacked by some 'goondas' of the rival political parties. The Union MoS claimed that he was rescued from there by some youngsters who put him in an ambulance which was there at the festival site to cater to those in distress. "I do not need to explain it further. Let the CBI come and investigate. Do they have the courage to bring the CBI. Their entire politics will go up in flames if it happens. You want the truth to come out, bring the CBI," he said. He further claimed that all