Page 25 - Kerala

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

Says Kerala does not see labour unrest unlike many other states

Kerala govt failed to utilise central funds for Wayanad rehabilitation: BJP

The BJP on Sunday accused the Left government in Kerala of "failing" to utilise the central funds in the SDRF and the NDRF for the relief and rehabilitation of Wayanad landslide survivors and carrying out "fake propaganda" against the union government. The saffron party said that the Narendra Modi government has provided sufficient funds to Kerala through the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and the the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). "The Pinarayi government is sitting on available funds and blames the Centre," senior BJP leader and Union Minister Prakash Javadekar alleged in a social media post. In a hard-hitting X post, he said the Centre has allocated over Rs 500 crore for this purpose through SDRF, which already has a balance of approximately Rs 700 crore. "The state has failed to utilise the Rs 700 crore in the calamity fund. People world over have donated to CM Relief fund. This is also not used. This is the hypocrisy of LDF and UDF, and their fake propaganda has

Matter of immense pride, says PM Modi on priest's elevation as cardinal

Indian priest George Jacob Koovakad being elevated as a Cardinal of the Holy Roman Catholic Church by Pope Francis is a matter of great joy and pride for India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday. He said George Cardinal Koovakad has devoted his life to the service of humanity as an ardent follower of Jesus Christ. "A matter of great joy and pride for India! Delighted at His Eminence George Jacob Koovakad being created a Cardinal of the Holy Roman Catholic Church by His Holiness Pope Francis," Modi said in a post on X. "His Eminence George Cardinal Koovakad has devoted his life in service of humanity as an ardent follower of Lord Jesus Christ. My best wishes for his future endeavours," the prime minister said. In a grand consistory held in the Vatican on Saturday, 51-year-old Koovakad was elevated to the rank of cardinal by Pope Francis. The ceremony, held at the famous St Peter's Basilica and attended by clergy and dignitaries from around the world, witnessed the inducti

Hema Committee report: Kerala govt has nothing to hide, says state minister

Emphasizing that there is nothing to hide over the Justice Hema Committee report, which exposed the shocking harassment and sexual exploitation faced by women in the Malayalam film industry, Kerala Culture Minister Saji Cherian on Saturday said the government is implementing its recommendations. Addressing the media, he stated that the government had adhered strictly to court directives, omitting only the portions the State Information Commission recommended not to release. The matter is currently before the High Court, and there are no objections if the court or the information commission instructs that these portions be made public, Cherian clarified. He underscored the government's commitment to addressing issues faced by women in cinema, highlighting that this is the first time such a committee has been constituted in India. We have disclosed all information directed by the State Information Commission regarding the report and everything is transparent." The minister further s

Kerala govt hiked power tariffs to benefit Adani, alleges Opposition

Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Saturday accused the Kerala government of hiking the electricity tariff "to benefit ports-to-energy conglomerate Adani" by bringing it into the power purchase system in the state. Chennithala alleged that the long term power purchase agreement signed during the UDF administration in 2016 to buy electricity at rates below Rs 5 per unit was cancelled during the LDF rule to facilitate the entry of Adani into this system. The Kerala government had on Friday announced a 16 paise per unit increase in electricity tariffs for the 2024-25 financial year, effective from December 5. An additional hike of 12 paise per unit is set to follow in the 2025-26 financial year. The Congress leader said this move of the government makes it clear that it was hand-in-glove with the power producing companies, especially Adani. "Adani is the biggest beneficiary of this move. This decision of the government is aimed at bringing Adani into the power purchasing sys

IMD issues red alert in 5 Kerala districts; schools, colleges remain shut

Record rain was reported in parts of Puducherry and Tamil Nadu due to Cyclone Fengal. Impact also felt in other regions

We must pressure Kerala govt to help Wayanad landslides victims: Rahul

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, who accompanied his sister and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi to Kerala after her maiden electoral victory, on Saturday urged the party and UDF to pressure the state government to help the Wayanad landslides victims. Rahul, at a joint public meeting along with his sister at Mukkam here, began his speech by paying tribute to the victims of the landslides and said his party and the UDF are standing with the people who lost family members, property and suffered in the tragedy. "Unfortunately, we are not in government and therefore, we cannot do what a government can do. So, I told my sister and (AICC general secretary) K C Venugopal that every member of the Congress and the UDF should put pressure on the government of Kerala to help the victims of the landslides," he said. Rahul also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of discriminating against the people of Wayanad, alleging that he was not willing to provide them the support which the

Ready to start working for better future of Wayanad: Priyanka Gandhi

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who arrived in Kerala for a two day visit following her huge maiden electoral win from the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, on Saturday said she was "ready to start working" to ensure a better future for the people of the hill constituency. Priyanka said she was happy to come back to Wayanad and will do whatever she can to help the people there. "I am happy to be back here and I am ready to start working and do whatever I can to help the people of Wayanad have a better future," she told reporters outside the Karipur airport here. This is her first visit as MP of the Wayanad LS constituency. She will be holding a joint public meeting with her brother and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi at Mukkam in Thiruvambadi assembly constituency in Kozhikode district in the afternoon, according to her itinerary released by the Congress party. Subsequently, receptions will be held for her at Karulai in Nilambur, Wandoor, and Edavanna in Eranad, the party

Priyanka Gandhi to make maiden visit as MP to Wayanad today with Rahul

Priyanka will be accompanied by her brother and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi during her maiden visit as MP

Indian Coast Guard kickstarts search, rescue exercise SAREX 11 in Kochi

The 11th edition of the Indian Coast Guard's National Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise and Workshop (SAREX-24) is being conducted under the aegis of the National Maritime Search and Rescue Board

Kerala govt, Adani Vizhinjam Port to sign supplementary concession pact

The state cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, approved the draft supplementary concession agreement

Vaishnaw asks Kerala CM to expedite land acquisition for rail projects

In a letter to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday, minister urged the state to instruct officials to accelerate land acquisition so that construction of ongoing projects could proceed

Priyanka Gandhi likely to take oath as Wayanad MP on November 28

Congress leaders from Wayanad handed over the election certificate of the parliamentary by-election to party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in the presence of Rahul Gandhi here on Wednesday. Sources said Priyanka Gandhi is likely to take oath in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. Leaders from Wayanad handed over the election certificate of the Wayanad parliamentary by-election to Priyanka Gandhi and conveyed their best wishes. On the occasion, Rahul Gandhi was seen treating Priyanka Gandhi with sweets. Priyanka Gandhi extended her heartfelt gratitude to the people of Wayanad for their overwhelming support and trust. She expressed her deep appreciation of the leaders for their unwavering efforts during the election, they said. During the meeting, Priyanka Gandhi also engaged in meaningful discussions with the leaders about the future course of action, focusing on addressing local concerns and working collectively for the development and welfare of Wayanad, the sources said. Priya

People protest against Waqf Bill in Kochi ahead of Parl's winter session

According to the people protesting, the Munambam community is facing hardship due to the Waqf Act

Wayanad bypolls: Priyanka Gandhi wins by over 400k votes in electoral debut

Priyanka Gandhi is up against Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate Satyan Mokeri and Navya Haridas of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)

Malayalam actor Meghanathan passes away at 60 due to lung-related illness

Meghanathan, the 60-year-old Malayalam actor, passed away on November 21 from a lung condition. In Kozhikode, Kerala, the well-known actor was receiving medical care at a private hospital

Palakkad bypoll: Slight drop in turnout compared to 2021 Assembly polls

The Palakkad assembly constituency, which saw a high octane campaign that gave rise to scores of controversies, saw a voter turnout of 70.01 per cent till 6.49 pm on Wednesday after voting in the bypoll concluded in over 86 per cent of the polling booths. This was a decline from the 73.83 per cent turnout recorded in the assembly polls held in the state in 2021. When polling started at 7 am, it proceeded slowly with a low turnout of only 1.11 per cent at 8 am, according to figures released by the Election Commission (EC). By noon, five hours after voting commenced, the turnout reached 30.48 per cent. It took another three hours after that for the turnout to cross the 50 per cent mark. At 6.49 pm, the turnout reached 70.01 per cent after voting concluded in 159 of the 184 polling booths in the constituency, the EC said. It said that this was not the final figure as in the remaining booths, people were waiting in line to cast their votes. There were long queues outside many booths

LDF, UDF hold hartal in landslide-hit Wayanad over lack of Central aid

The dawn-to-dusk hartal called by the ruling LDF and opposition UDF in Wayanad district in Kerala on Tuesday saw shops largely remaining closed and vehicles blocked in many areas. The CPI(M)-led LDF and the Congress-headed UDF announced hartals separately to protest against the lack of Central assistance for the landslide victims in the mountain district even months after the disaster. Both the ruling and the opposition parties wanted the BJP-led union government to declare the landslide calamity as a national disaster and provide required assistance for the relief and rehabilitation of the survivors at the earliest. While the LDF alleged that the denying of Central assistance to Wayanad was due to political reasons and the union government had grudges towards the state, the UDF criticised the Left government in the state for the continuing plight of the landslide survivors. In many places, those supporting the hartal blocked vehicles, causing traffic snarls since morning. The ...

Kerala to host Vizhinjam Conclave 2024, aims to boost global supply chain

The conclave, the first of its kind in the state, promises to redefine the scope of industrial and economic development by leveraging the untapped potential of the Vizhinjam International Seaport

Sobha Q2: PAT jumps to 75% to Rs 26.1 cr, net revenue grew 24% annually

The company's total revenue grew to Rs 965.2 crore as against Rs 773.6 crore, up 24.77 per cent