Page 8 - Kerala Govt

LS polls: Vijayan highlights Kerala's PSC's job creation record to youth

Reaching out to the youth ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday said Kerala PSC is far ahead of the UPSC and other state PSCs in creating employment opportunities in the public sector. "Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) is setting an example for the entire country by making record appointments. More than 230,000 job recommendations have been issued since June 2016. The state government has created around 30,000 additional posts during this period," Vijayan said, addressing the Chief Minister's face-to-face programme with the youth, organised here. He claimed that the state made this achievement at a time when millions of posts are lying vacant in central services and other states. "The Union Public Service Commission has made only 16,434 appointments in central services across India since 2018. But during the same period, Kerala PSC created a record in appointments. The State Public Service Commission of Uttar Pradesh, with a population eight

Kerala CM cautions against concerted efforts creating rift among religions

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday cautioned against concerted efforts to create a rift among religions and religious beliefs in the country. Instead of nurturing harmony, cooperation and coexistence between religions, such forces are consciously trying to create division between them, the CM said. He was speaking during the 75th birthday celebrations of Theodosius Marthoma Metropolitan, head of Malankara Marthoma Syrian Church, here. "Today, there are deliberate attempts by people with vested interests to create enmity between various religions and religious beliefs," Vijayan said. Without naming any particular political party, outfit or individual, he further charged that some forces were capable enough to create a rift even among those who should stand united and create confusion in the society about whom or what should be opposed. In such situations, a humanitarian approach and interventions being made by personalities like Marthoma Metropolitan within the church

Kerala court rejects corruption complaint against CM over sand mining

A Kerala court has rejected a complaint alleging corruption by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and various officials back in 2019 in connection with a government order permitting removal of sand from the Thottappally coastal area in Alappuzha district. Enquiry Commissioner and Special Judge, Kottayam, M Manoj dismissed the complaint saying that prima facie none of the offences, under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the IPC, as alleged against the CM and others in the complaint were disclosed. "The averments in the complaint do not disclose any offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 or under any other law. "The complicity of the respondents in any of the alleged offences are not prima facie made out and disclosed as per the averments in the complaint." the judge said in his order dated February 7. The complaint was moved by the President of the Karimanal Khanana Virudha Ekopana Samithi alleging that atomic mineral sand extracted from Thottappally coastal area in t

Centre not solely responsible for Kerala's financial woes: Cong-led UDF

As the ruling Left Democratic Front in Kerala is holding a protest in the national capital against the alleged neglect by the Centre, the Congress-led UDF opposition on Thursday reiterated that the union government was not solely responsible for the southern state's financial woes. Leader of Opposition in the assembly V D Satheesan said that the UDF did not join the LDF protest in Delhi as "they created a narrative blaming the Central government for all the financial problems of the state to hide their mismanagement, extravagance and corruption". The opposition has been saying this for some time. He also termed as "lies" and "an inflated figure" the Left government's claims that around Rs 57,000 crore was to be received from the Centre. Satheesan also claimed that what the Left government said in the Supreme Court was different from what it said in Delhi and what was said in the state assembly regarding the financial woes of Kerala. He also claimed that the Left government moved t

Kejriwal, Mann to participate in Kerala's 'historic protest' against Centre

The mega agitation will be held in Delhi's Jantar Mantar against the Centre's alleged discrimination towards Kerala

2 Alternative alignments examined for Kerala Sabari rail project: Vaishnaw

The proposed Sabarimala railway project in Kerala has not made progress even after so many years of efforts due to lack of cooperation from the state government and two alternatives alignments are being looked at, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Wednesday. The project, also known as Sabari rail project, is aimed at providing connectivity for pilgrims visiting the Sabarimala temple in the state. The Railways Minister told the Lok Sabha that two alternative alignments are being looked at for the project. Sabari rail project is another classic case study in which despite so many years of efforts, it has not made the kind of progress it should have because of the lack of cooperation from the state government on the issue of land acquisition and giving matching funds, he said during the Question Hour. "Right now, we are working on two possible alternative alignments. One alignment will take the project line very close to the shrine and other alignment will terminate at around 25

Kerala Budget: Govt hikes excise duty on liquor, pitches for privatisation

A cash-strapped Kerala government on Monday increased court fees and excise duty on liquor and pitched for public-private funding in key areas to raise funds for the implementation of various developmental projects in the state budget for the fiscal 2024-25. Despite expectations, the government opted not to enhance social welfare pensions and also provided only a nominal increase of Rs 10 in the minimum support price for rubber -- a major cash crop of the state -- enhancing it to Rs 180 from Rs 170 earlier. Finance Minister K N Balagopal tabled the fourth budget of the second Pinarayi Vijayan government without hiding the financial constraints it is facing, while attacking the Centre for the alleged neglect it shows towards the state. Seeking to raise additional revenue, the budget proposed a hike of Rs 10 per litre in excise duty on Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) and an increase of 15 paise per unit in electricity duty for consumers who generate and consume energy for their own

Focus on developing beach tourism, enhance hospitality standards: Kerala

The Kerala government has affirmed its commitment to align beach tourism projects with current demands, leveraging the significant potential of this specialised sector while enhancing hospitality standards. Speaking after opening the renovated Samudra Kovalam, the beachside resort of the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) that now flaunts a whole range of world-class features on Tuesday, Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas said that it is important to adopt novel ideas in the tourism sector. "The refurbished sea-front resort will boost Kerala's standing as a fast-emerging hub of destination weddings and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) tourism," the Minister was quoted as saying in a release here. He said at a time destination weddings are becoming a global trend, the state has picturesque locations for promoting this niche area, with the government making all efforts to create the best facilities for that segment. In his presidential address, KTDC

14-member police team including DSP gets lost in Kerala forest; rescued

A 14-member police team conducting a combing operation in a dense forest area in this north Kerala district got lost during their return journey but was rescued early Wednesday morning by the Forest department's rapid response team. The police team, which also included the Agali DySP, had gone to the Attappady forest after getting information about cannabis cultivation going on there. The team found the cannabis cultivation and destroyed it, but the operation took time and it got dark while returning which resulted in them getting lost deep inside the forest, the DySP told the media. He said that mobile networks were not available in many places and when they got connectivity, they informed the Forest department which dispatched a Rapid Response Team (RRT). "The RRT team reached us around 1 am and then using GPS helped us come out of the forest," the DySP said. He also said that there were wild animal-related problems, but the team was prepared to handle them. A member of the RRT

Centre's policies main hindrance in creation of new Kerala: CM Vijayan

The Chief Minister claimed that the proportion of tax resources to be distributed to the states has declined from 42 per cent during the 14th Finance Commission to 41 per cent during the 15th Finance

Union home ministry extends Z+ security to Kerala guv Arif Mohammed Khan

The Union Home Ministry has extended Z+ security cover to Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, the Raj Bhavan said here on Saturday. The Z+ security cover of CRPF personnel has been extended to Khan and Raj Bhavan, his office said in a post on 'X'. "Union Home Ministry has informed Kerala Raj Bhavan that Z+ Security cover of CRPF is being extended to Hon'ble Governor and Kerala Raj Bhavan," the post said. The move comes after high drama played out in the Kollam district of Kerala today when Khan, facing SFI's black flag protest, got off his car, took on the agitating Left student wing members, sat on the roadside and hit out at Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. A visibly angry Khan accused CM Vijayan of "promoting lawlessness in the state." The dramatic scenes were witnessed at Nilamel in Kollam, located about 40 km from the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. After sitting there for over two hours, Khan left the place only after the police showed him a copy of the FIR registered aga

R-Day parade: 1500 dancers performed folk dances at Kartavya Path

A group consisting of 1500 dancers delivered a powerful message of unity in diversity through their mesmerizing acts

Dissent should not degenerate into violence: Kerala Guv on Indian democracy

Dissent and differences of opinion are essential ingredients of democratic functioning but they should not degenerate into violence, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said on Friday on the occasion of the 75th Republic Day celebrations here. Khan, leading the Republic Day celebrations at the Central Stadium in the state capital, said that society should not allow group rivalries or internal struggles for power to affect governance as it would set a bad example for the future generations. The Governor further said that education was the chief means by which a society is transformed and it is the only effective method to purge the mind of old prejudices. "The future depends on what we are in our thoughts and actions. For this, we need institutions of higher education which are truly autonomous and free from any outside interference that leads the youth to engage in activities which pollute the academic environment," he said at the event also attended by Chief Minister Pinarayi ...

Kerala criticises Centre's fiscal approach, notes low alcohol tax revenue

The Kerala Government on Thursday criticised the BJP-led Centre's fiscal approach towards the state, noting that the state had to seek a solution to the financial impasse in the Supreme Court. The state government also clarified that only 3.7 per cent of Kerala's own tax revenue comes from alcohol, which is one of the lowest percentages among all states, contrasting with those where it can be as high as 22 per cent. These were part of the customary policy address which was presented before the State Assembly by Governor Arif Mohammed Khan. Khan swiftly concluded the address by reading out only its final paragraph. "My Government places the considered opinion before the Union Government that Kerala should be ensured it's well deserved share in the distribution of taxes. My Government views with concern the holding back of eligible grants and share of assistance in Centrally Sponsored Schemes. "My Government is put to added liquidity stress because of the retrospective cut in borrowi

Kerala has 575,000 new voters in list ahead of LS elections, says state CEO

Kerala has enrolled 5,74,175 new voters into the final voter list for the upcoming general elections and removed 3.75 lakh voters to clean up the final list, State Chief Electoral Officer Sanjay Kaul said on Tuesday. Kaul said that those who could not add their names to the voter list yet could do so before the elections and requested people who have not enrolled themselves to come forward and make use of this opportunity. Talking to the media here, the CEO said that the commission had done commendable work to clean up the voters' list with officials at the booth level visiting each house and collecting details regarding deaths. Based on the information collected, 3,75,867 names were removed from the voters' list, he said. A draft list was published on October 27, 2023 and the Commission received complaints from the voters before finalising the list, Kaul said. With the addition of 5,74,175 new voters, the total number of voters in Kerala has now become 2,70,99,326, with 1,39,96,7

Kerala court convicts 15 men linked to PFI in BJP leader's murder case

A Kerala court on Saturday found 15 men guilty of killing a BJP OBC wing leader in this coastal district in December 2021. The convicted persons are associated with the now-banned radical Islamist group, Popular Front of India (PFI). Ranjith Sreenivasan, the BJP OBC Morcha state secretary, was brutally attacked and killed in his home on December 19, 2021, in front of his family, allegedly by activists affiliated with PFI and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI). The verdict was delivered by the Additional District Sessions Court I, Mavelikkara. The quantum of punishment will be pronounced on Monday. The BJP leader's murder occurred just hours after SDPI leader K S Shan was killed by a gang on the night of December 18 while he was returning home in Alappuzha.

Kerala makes preamble to Constitution part of textbooks for class 1-10

For the first time in the history of the state, the revised school textbooks in Kerala will include the preamble to the Constitution of the country. The CPI(M)-led Left Government has decided to incorporate the preamble into textbooks of class 1 to 10 as part of its efforts to instil constitutional values in the minds of children, official sources said here on Wednesday. General Education Minister V Sivankutty, who is also the chairman of the State Curriculum Committee, announced the significant decision here yesterday. The State Curriculum Steering Committee recently approved 173 new textbooks for Classes I, III, V, VII and IX as part of the curriculum reforms implemented after a decade. "It is the first time that the preamble of the Constitution is included and printed at the start of every textbook," Sivankutty said. The minister said the LDF government has made it clear since the beginning that the southern state would pursue reform activities upholding constitutional ...

Over 20K people in Kerala lost Rs 201 cr to online frauds in 2023: Police

Highlighting the menace posed by online financial frauds, Kerala Police has said that last year alone it resulted in a total loss of around Rs 201 crore to 23,753 people in the state. Police said that its Cyber Wing was able to recover 20 per cent of this amount and also blocked 5,107 bank accounts, 3,289 mobile numbers, 239 social media accounts and 945 websites that were used to commit the frauds. In a release issued by the State Police Media Centre, the police urged people to report online financial frauds within two hours of the incident to 1930 number. This would increase the chances of recovering the amount lost by the victim of the fraud, it said. "Delay in making complaints is a major problem faced by Kerala Police. If the information is reported to the cyber helpline number 1930 within two hours of the loss of money, the chances of recovering the money are very high. "But often the police receive complaints after 10 days of depositing the money. This gives the fraudsters .

BJP, Sangh have no relevance in LS polls in Kerala: Congress' VD Satheesan

Earlier on Wednesday, attacking the Left parties and Congress in Kerala, PM Modi alleged that governments led by LDF and UDF in the state considered 'nari shakti' as weak

Two alliance leaders to take oath as ministers in Kerala's CPI(M)-led govt

Ramachandran Kadannappally of Congress (S) and K B Ganesh Kumar of Kerala Congress (B) are set to take the oath as ministers in Kerala's CPI(M)-led LDF government on Friday afternoon, officials said here. The swearing-in ceremony for the minister-designates will take place at 4 pm at Raj Bhavan, with Governor Arif Mohammed Khan administering the oath of office to the new ministers, officials said. Earlier, the Governor approved the state government's proposal for the induction of two new ministers into the state cabinet. On Sunday, the LDF announced a cabinet reshuffle and said that the new ministers would be sworn in on December 29. Following the understanding among the partners in the LDF, Antony Raju of the Democratic Kerala Congress and Ahammad Devarkovil of the Indian National League resigned as Transport Minister and Ports Minister, respectively. When the second LDF government assumed power in the state in May 2021, partners in the CPI(M)-led alliance had agreed to allocate