Page 6 - Kerala Govt

Fourth case of rare brain-eating amoeba infection reported in North Kerala

Another case of amoebic meningoencephalitis, a rare brain infection caused by a free-living amoeba found in contaminated waters, has been reported from Kerala. A 14-year-old boy, a resident of Payyoli in this north Kerala district, is afflicted with the disease, according to sources in the private hospital where he is being treated. This is the fourth case of the rare brain infection reported in the state since May and all the patients are children, three of whom have already died. In the latest case, one of the doctors treating the boy said that he was admitted to the hospital on July 1, and his condition is improving. The doctor said, on Saturday, that the infection was identified quickly at the hospital and treatment, including medicines from abroad, was given immediately. On Wednesday, a 14-year-old boy infected with the free-living amoeba died here. Prior to that, two others -- a five-year-old girl from Malappuram and a 13-year-old girl from Kannur -- died on May 21 and June

Gen AI conclave will help Kerala become leading hub of AI: CM Vijayan

The country's first international Gen AI conclave will be held in Kerala next week and it will give an impetus to the state's efforts to become India's leading hub in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Friday. In a Facebook post, Vijayan said over a thousand delegates will take part in the two-day conclave being organised at Kochi by global technology company IBM in collaboration with the state government on July 11 and 12. In conjunction with the conclave, IBM is also organising the WatsonX Challenge, he said. The WatsonX challenge is the connecting of academic knowledge and real-life use cases using generative AI. The CM said that the team that wins the challenge, in which over 50 startups working in the field of artificial intelligence will take part, will not only get an award, it will also get an opportunity to present their ideas in front of investors from the global level. Vijayan, in his post, also said that besides IBM, vari

Highly contagious African Swine Fever reported in Kerala's Thrissur

An outbreak of African Swine Fever, a highly contagious and deadly swine disease that can affect both farm-raised and feral (wild) pigs, has been reported from a farm in a village in Kerala's Thrissur district, officials said on Friday. Due to the outbreak of swine fever, which can be readily transmitted from one pig to another through direct contact with bodily fluids from an infected pig, the Thrissur district collector has ordered the culling of 310 pigs at a private farm in Thrissur district's Madakkathara panchayat, they said. "The disease was confirmed in the pigs owned by Kuttalapuzha Babu of Veliyanthara in the 14th ward. The district Collector has directed the district animal husbandry officer to cull the pigs and bury them," according to an official release here. A team consisting of doctors, livestock inspectors and attendants will conduct the culling process, and further primary disinfection measures will also be taken, it said. The area within a one-kilometre radius of

Private company booked for polluting Periyar river near Kochi in Kerala

A case has been registered against a private company for allegedly polluting Periyar river near Kochi weeks after protests by environmental activists and locals against the alleged illegal discharge of chemical effluents into the waterbody, which posed a threat to the biodeiversity in it. The state Pollution Control Board also reportedly slapped a notice on the institution, one among the several companies located on the banks of Periyar river here, after the violation was detected during their recent patrolling, sources said. Police and the PCB adopted the tough stand against the firm amidst a raging row over the recent mass death of fish in Periyar river. Kochi had witnessed widespread protests by fish farmers, local people, environmental activists and political parties after dead fish were found floating in large numbers in fish farms across panchayats such as Varapuzha, Kadamakkudy, and Cheranalloor near here last month A police officer said a case was registered against the ...

Kerala Assembly passes resolution to change state's name to 'Keralam'

The Kerala Assembly on Monday unanimously adopted a resolution urging the Centre to officially change the state's name to Keralam'. The Assembly passed the resolution for the second time because the Union Home Ministry, which reviewed the first resolution, suggested some technical changes. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who moved the resolution, wanted the union government to change the southern state's name from "Kerala" to "Keralam" in all languages included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of the country. Moving the resolution, the CM said the state was called Keralam' in Malayalam and that the demand 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 requests the Centre to take immediate steps to amend it as Keralam' under Article 3 of the Constitution and have it renamed as Keralam'

Two organ trafficking complaints received, 3 arrests made: Kerala CM

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday informed the state assembly that the state police was investigating complaints alleging that organ trafficking was taking place in the state and several arrests have been made in this connection. Replying to a question on organ trafficking, Vijayan said three people were arrested so far in connection with a case registered at Nedumbassery in Ernakulam district. "One complaint was lodged by a Malappuram resident alleging that two private hospitals in Ernakulam have links to international organ trading mafia. The second complaint is regarding illegal organ transplantation from Thiruvananthapuram," he said. In the Nedumbassery case, he said three people were arrested and the process has been initiated to issue a Blue Corner notice through Interpol for prime accused Madhu Jayakumar, who is absconding. A 13-member police team is probing the matter. Meanwhile, the police is probing into the illegal organ transplantation from ...

Kerala BJP mocks Cong over Priyanka Gandhi's candidature from Wayanad

The BJP in Kerala on Tuesday continued to mock the Congress party's decision to field Priyanka Gandhi in Wayanad, which was vacated by Rahul Gandhi, and said the grand old party may consider her husband Robert Vadra in the upcoming by-poll in Palakkad assembly segment. BJP state chief K Surendran and senior leader V Muraleedharan criticised the Congress leadership over their decision and alleged that they had cheated the people of Wayanad. Surendran, who had contested against Rahul Gandhi in the April 26 Lok Sabha polls in the hill constituency, said it is once again proven beyond doubt that the Congress is the only "tool" for the so-called Nehru-Gandhi family to serve their family's interests. In a post on 'X', he said: "Mr @RahulGandhi claimed that Wayanad is his family. Now he has decided the candidature of his own sister claimed that Wayanad is his family. Now he has decided the candidature of his own sister @priyankagandhi to the upcoming by-election in Wayanad. Hope that Mr ..

Over 300 residents in Kerala society seek treatment for food poisoning

Over 300 people, including children, living in an apartment complex in Kakkanad near here sought treatment for food poisoning in the last couple of days, prompting municipal and health authorities to inspect the water sources used by the residents of the flats. Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Tuesday said that she was informed a day ago by some residents of the apartment complex in Thrikkakara municipality that over the last few days, several hundred people have fallen sick there. "I immediately ordered an inspection of the area by health officials and a medical team from Ernakulam visited the apartment complex and examined all their water sources. They also spoke to residents and took a list of the people who fell sick and sought treatment in private hospitals," she said. The minister said that it appears to be a serious issue as there have been instances of water contamination in the recent past in the city and thousands of families are living in the apartment complex. The

DM orders closure of schools in Sikkim's Mangan due to safety concerns

The Mangan district administration on Tuesday ordered the closure of all government schools in the district with immediate effect due to safety concerns of students in view of damage to property and road blockages. An ordered issued by District Magistrate Hem Kumar Chettri said government schools in Manul, Singhik, Mangan and Mangshilla clusters of Mangan block and Lingdong, Hee Gyathang, Passingdong, Lingzya, Tingvong and Gor clusters of Dzongu block will remain closed till further orders. The order stated that the district magistrate deemed it unsafe for the students to attend schools in view of the damage to property and road blockages in different areas of Mangan district due to continuous and heavy rainfall that occurred on the intervening night of June 12-13. The heads and staff of schools shall remain in the station, the order said, adding the decision shall come into force with immediate effect and shall remain valid till further orders. Incessant rains since June 12 wreake

Kerala health min denied permission to visit Kuwait for fire relief efforts

Kerala Health Minister Veena George has claimed she was denied permission by the Union Government to travel to Kuwait. The purpose of the visit was to coordinate relief efforts for Keralites affected by a tragic fire incident in the Gulf nation, she said. "What we just sought from the central government was the permission to travel to Kuwait to stand with our people affected by the tragedy and coordinate activities there. That permission is denied," George told reporters on Thursday night. The fire incident has claimed the lives of 49 people, with 40 of them being Indians. Out of these, 23 are from Kerala. The state government had decided to send George to Kuwait to help with the relief efforts, including treatment for the injured and the repatriation of the deceased. George reportedly waited for hours at the airport, hoping for permission from the Ministry of External Affairs.

Kuwait fire: Kerala govt to provide Rs 5L to kin of those from state

The Kerala government on Thursday said it will provide Rs 5 lakh financial assistance to the families of the people from the state who died in the Kuwait fire tragedy that claimed 49 lives and left 50 others injured. The decision was taken at an emergency Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the morning, a statement issued by his office said. According to information received by the government, 19 people from Kerala died in the incident, the statement said. The cabinet also decided to provide Rs one lakh financial assistance to those injured in the incident, it said. A decision was taken to immediately send state Health Minister Veena George to Kuwait to coordinate the efforts to provide treatment to those injured and bring back the bodies of those who died in the tragedy, it further said. The statement also said prominent businessmen M A Yusuff Ali and Ravi Pillai have informed the CM that they will provide Rs 5 lakh and Rs 2 lakh, respectively, to each o

No moratorium on repayment of loans during trawling ban period: Kerala govt

The Kerala government on Wednesday made it clear that no moratorium has been granted on repayment of loans availed by fishermen during the time of the ongoing 52-day-long trawling ban imposed in state waters. However, several measures, including free rations, were given to the fishermen's families during the trawling ban period from June 10 to July 31, state Fisheries Minister Saji Cheriyan told the state assembly. He was replying to a question raised by MLA E K Vijayan (CPI-M) during the Question Hour. The fishermen, who use mechanised vessels, and those engaged in other related work in the sector lost jobs during the ban, and they are being given free rations, the minister said. Under the financial relief scheme, those fishermen, who are members of their welfare fund board, would get assistance of Rs 4,500 during this time. Of this, Rs 1500 each is contributed by the union and state governments and the rest is the share of beneficiaries, he noted. While replying to a question,

Kerala rejects Oppn's plea for corruption case in liquor policy row

The Left government in Kerala on Monday rejected the opposition Congress-led UDF's demand to register a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act into the allegations with regard to the "amendment" of the state's liquor policy. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan rejected the opposition's demand in the state Assembly which met here for the first time after the Lok Sabha polls. An agitated opposition later raised slogans against the LDF government and showed placards as a mark of protest by standing in front of the podium of Speaker A N Shamseer. Though the UDF, under Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan, urged the CPI (M)-led regime to register a corruption case in connection with the issue, Vijayan said a police probe was already underway. He accused the opposition of raising a fabricated argument and trying to create the impression that something (illegal) was happening in the state. "The State Excise Minister himself had lodged a complaint with the Director General of Police as

Kerala govt devising schemes to preserve environment, says CM Vijayan

The Kerala government has been devising and implementing various schemes to prevent land degradation and preserve the environmental balance in the state, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Wednesday on the occasion of World Environment Day. In a Facebook post, Vijayan said this year's message on World Environment Day is to prevent land degradation and increase soil fertility. He claimed that as part of the neoliberal economic order, land grabbing, illegal encroachments by private capitalistic forces to serve their self interests and climate change were leading to large-scale degradation of the land. Vijayan said that the degradation of land can be prevented only through extensive planning and interventions in policy formulation and implementation. "It requires public participation also. The LDF government in Kerala has been devising and implementing various schemes for this purpose," he said. Giving examples of steps taken by the government, the CM said that interventions wer

Kerala's lab develops non-infectious Nipah virus-like particles

To help in vaccine production and development of monoclonal antibodies

LDF in Kerala rejects exit poll predictions, calls it politically motivated

The ruling Left in Kerala on Sunday termed as "suspicious" and "politically motivated" the exit poll predictions which said that the BJP-led NDA will open its account and end its electoral drought in a state dominated by the Congress-led UDF and the CPI(M)-led LDF. LDF convener and veteran CPI(M) leader E P Jayarajan said the exit poll predictions were not arrived at through some scientific findings or experiments, "it was not based on public sentiments" and was not an observation following a proper analysis of the elections. "I suspect it is politically motivated. All the exit polls have taken a stand that repeats and strengthens what the BJP has been saying till now (about the poll results). That is what makes it even more suspicious," he told a TV channel. Jayarajan said that, therefore, there should be extreme vigil during the counting process on June 4. The exit polls predicted that the BJP will nationally win over 350 seats and that it will open its account in Kerala. Reject

No animal sacrifice performed near temple as claimed by Shivakumar: Kerala

The Kerala government on Saturday reiterated that no animal sacrifice was held near a temple in the northern part of the state as claimed by Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar. Kerala Devaswom Minister K Radhakrishnan said that Shivakumar had made a huge allegation that animal sacrifice was performed near the Rajarajeshwara temple at Taliparamba in Kannur district of the state against him, CM Siddaramaiah and the Congress government in Karnataka. "We investigated the claim and also contacted the Malabar Devaswom Board. The preliminary report we got states that nothing like that has happened in or near the temple. The Devaswom Board also confirmed it," the minister said. He said that it needs to be examined why Shivakumar made such an allegation. Radhakrishnan also said that the government was investigating whether anything as alleged by the Karnataka Deputy CM happened anywhere else in Kerala, even though according to initial reports such an incident has not occurred in

Kerala health min announces intensification of Nipah prevention in state

Minister George emphasized the importance of extreme caution and outlined several key preventive measures

Cong alleges Kerala ministers lied about liquor policy, demands probe

The Congress on Sunday continued its attack against the Left government in Kerala over its liquor policy, accusing Excise Minister M B Rajesh and Tourism Minister P A Mohammed Riyas of "lying" to the public by claiming that no discussion had taken place regarding the scrapping of the "dry day" norm. The opposition party questioned the silence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on the issue and asked why a vigilance probe had not been ordered into the allegations despite receiving a complaint. The Congress also called for the government to announce a judicial probe into the allegations and to sack the excise minister. The criticism came after reports that the state government was considering scrapping the 'dry day' norm (which prohibits the sale of alcohol in the state on the first day of every calendar month), sparking a political storm in the state. While the Congress-led UDF has accused the LDF government of taking bribes to 'favour' bar owners, the Left claimed it has not yet he

Kerala activates emergency operation centres amidst heavy rains, says govt

With heavy rains continuing to lash several parts of the state, the Kerala government said on Monday that emergency operation centres have been opened in all district collectorates and taluk offices to tackle any urgent situation. Special directions have been given to alert tourists who arrive in the southern state for holidaying about the rain situation, state Revenue Minister K Rajan said. He stressed the need for strict regulations in hilly areas in the wake of possible landslide threats. "The Disaster Management Authority has warned that there is even the possibility of mudslides on the road due to heavy rains," he told reporters here. Safety boards would be installed in such areas to warn travellers about the threat of a possible land slide, he said. The district collectors have been entrusted to take necessary steps to impose a night travel ban in hilly areas in their respective areas if necessary, Rajan explained. "The 24x7 Emergency Operation Centres have been opened in a