Page 52 - Kerala

Congress claims corruption in purchase of laptops under Safe Kerala project

After raising allegations of large-scale corruption by the ruling Left government in the state in the procurement and installation of artificial intelligence (AI) cameras under the Safe Kerala initiative, the opposition Congress on Monday claimed irregularities in purchase of laptops under the same project. Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, who had first raised the issue of corruption in connection with the AI cameras, claimed that laptops for the project were purchased for more than three times what they would have actually cost. Chennithala claimed that laptops with specifications stipulated under the project contract would have cost only around Rs 57,000 per machine. However, the 358 laptops required for the project were bought for Rs 1.48 lakh per machine for a total of over Rs five crore, he contended while speaking to reporters here. The Congress leader also alleged that the same private company which was involved in the installation of the AI cameras was the one beh

Vigilance wing intensifies probe against K Sudhakaran in graft complaint

The Vigilance Wing of the Kerala Police has intensified its probe against KPCC chief K Sudhakaran on a complaint of graft and misappropriation of funds filed by his former driver two years ago. As part of its investigation, the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has sought the details of the income sources of his wife. In a notice dated June 15, the VACB Kozhikode unit sought the service particulars and salary details of Smitha Sudhakaran from the school authorities where she was working. The Vigilance bureau has sought details like the net salary, including Pay/DA, leave surrender, and other details, for a period starting in 2001. According to the complaint lodged by his former driver, Prashanth Babu, in 2021, Sudhakaran allegedly siphoned off Rs 32 crore from the funds received by the K Karunakaran Trust for building a memorial to Congress stalwart and former Kerala chief minister Karunakaran-- a project that never took off. The complaint also alleges that the KPCC ...

Good work of Kerala people marred by petty politics of LDF-UDF: JP Nadda

BJP national president J P Nadda on Monday said Kerala has been playing a significant role in the development of the country, but the good work being done by the people of the southern state "was getting marred" by the "petty politics" of the ruling LDF and the opposition UDF in the state. Nadda, who is in Kerala for a public meeting here on the occasion of the Narendra Modi government completing nine years at the Centre, said that while the state was playing a significant role in the country's development, "it was not being rightly placed or projected". "There is a lot of contribution being done by the Kerala, but because of petty politics of LDF-UDF, the whole good work being done by people of Kerala was getting marred," he said at the public meeting held here. Nadda said while the southern state was known as 'God's own Country' and its people are peaceful and hardworking, "sadly times have changed so much that the state has become 'rakt-rangit'. A lot of bloodshed has taken ...

Will continue as KPCC chief, file defamation case on Govindan: Sudhakaran

KPCC chief K Sudhakaran on Sunday said he would continue to lead the state Congress unit as desired by the party's senior leadership and high command. In the wake of his arrest in a cheating case, in which controversial self styled antiques dealer Monson Mavunkal is the prime accused, Sudhakaran had offered to quit as the president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC). Addressing reporters here today, he said both the party's senior leadership and the high command rejected his offer and said that he should continue in the position. "Hence, I have decided to abide by their wishes," he said. After being arrested on Friday, he was released on bail the same day in accordance with orders of the Kerala High Court. Sudhakaran also said that he would be filing defamation cases against CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan and the Left party's mouthpiece Deshabhimani for the allegations by them against him in connection with a POCSO case in which Mavunkal was sentenced to life in

GO EC Autotech announces installation of 1,000 EV charging stations

Kerala-based start-up GO EC Autotech Pvt Ltd has announced the installation of 1,000 electric vehicle (EV) super-fast charging stations across the country. The company is currently operating 70 charging stations in Kerala and over 33 across India. "With the new project, we plan to expand our footprint by strategically positioning the charging stations in capitals, state highways, and national highways along with Tier-2, and Tier-3 cities and rural places in the country," the company said in a release. The company also aims to cater to the needs of customers residing in remote locations, making it easier for them to adopt electric vehicles, it said. "This momentous project marks a significant milestone for the startup, which has already established a remarkable track record by deploying over 103 charging stations within a year in India. GO EC is committed to transforming the EV charging experience and has partnered with major restaurants and shopping malls, to ensure that EV users .

Kerala Cong observes black day, holds protest against Sudhakaran's arrest

Congress Party workers also staged protest marches across the state on Friday night against the arrest

Kerala Cong chief arrested, out on bail in cheating case; party protests

KPCC chief K Sudhakaran was on Friday arrested by the Crime Branch in a cheating case in which the prime accused is controversial antique dealer Monson Mavunkal, and later released on bail. Sudhakaran later told reporters that he was arrested after several hours of questioning by the Crime Branch. "They questioned me. After that, they recorded my arrest and then I was released on bail. I have faith in judiciary. I will face the case in court," he told reporters here. Following his arrest, the national leadership of Congress came down heavily on Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan by equating him with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. AICC general secretary in-charge, communications, Jairam Ramesh said while the rest of the opposition in the country was on one track, Vijayan was acting as "Mundu Modi". "Rest of the Opposition is on one track nationally, while Pinarayi Vijayan is busy proving what has all along been known that he is Mundu Modi. This unwarranted harassment of Kerala P

KPCC chief Sudhakaran arrested by Crime Branch, later released on bail

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief K Sudhakaran was on Friday arrested by the Crime Branch wing of the police in a cheating case, in which the prime accused is controversial antique dealer Monson Mavunkal, and later released on bail. Sudhakaran, after being released on bail, told reporters that he was arrested after several hours of questioning by the Crime Branch before which he had appeared in the morning for questioning. "They questioned me. After that, they recorded my arrest and then I was released on bail. I have faith in the judiciary. I will face the case in court," he told reporters here. Sudhakaran, surrounded by several party leaders and workers, said that he was "fully confident" that the police had no evidence against him in the case for him to be punished. "I am not afraid. I am not going to hide anywhere," he said. On being asked whether he rejected links with Mavunkal, the KPCC chief said that he has. Meanwhile, senior party leaders of Congress in Kera

Fight erupts between CPI(M), Congress in Kerala over fake certificate issue

A political fight has erupted between the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala and the opposition Congress regarding the fake certificate issue in the state with the grand old party on Thursday accusing the Left Front of protecting those involved in illegal activities. The CPI(M) on the other hand refuted the allegations against it on the issue and also came to the aid of its student wing SFI, whose two former members are facing charges of using fake certificates. While expelled SFI leader Nikhil Thomas is accused of submitting a fake certificate for admission to the M.Com course in a college in Kayamkulam area of Alappuzha district of the state, former SFI member Vidya K Maniyodi is facing charges of furnishing a fake teaching experience certificate to secure a guest faculty post in a government college. Vidya, who was absconding for nearly two weeks, was arrested on Wednesday night from a village in Kozhikode district and Thomas was expelled from SFI's primary membership on Tuesday. Dissatisf

Will not give assent to University Laws Amendment Bill: Kerala Governor

Speaking to the reporters, he said that the purpose of appointing the governor as chancellor in Universities of all the states was to avoid a university-to-executive interface

Kerala CM to inaugurate KSUM's first Infinity Centre in Dubai today

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the first Infinity Centre of Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) in Dubai on Sunday, rolling out his government's ambitious programme of setting up one-stop destinations across the world to strengthen the state's ecosystem for nascent companies. Vijayan, who is on a tour to US and Cuba, will arrive in Dubai to take part in the event. Chief Secretary V P Joy will chair the ceremony at Taj, Burj Khalifa, a KSUM release said, adding that the event will mark the start of a series of such launch pads for Kerala's startups to explore foreign markets by enabling non-resident Indians to help become entrepreneurs in association with KSUM. "The idea of Infinity Centres comes in the context of NRIs totalling 3.2 crore, topping India in the global list of hosting the largest number of migrant citizens," the release said. "Adding about $78 billion in remittance to the Indian economy, they play a huge role in the development of India. Considering

World Bank approves financing for Kerala climate resilience project

This additional financing will further deepen Kerala's resilience in the critical areas of coastal erosion and water resource management

Kerala CM holds discussions about health, literature with Cuban authorities

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who is on a two-day trip to Cuba, met top officials of the Latin American country on Friday and held discussions on cooperation in various key sectors. During his separate meetings with Cuban deputy minister of Public Health, Tania Margarita Cruz and Havana Governor, Yanet Hernndez Prez, in the capital of the Latin American country, the two sides held discussions on cooperation in Ayurveda, the public health sector, literature, and housing, among others. A statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said Cruz expressed interest in collaborating with Kerala's health sector, and Perez sought cooperation in various sectors like science and sports. The Governor sought Kerala's cooperation in urban affairs, housing, and agriculture, and the meeting also decided to create an opportunity to engage the literary communities in both Havana and Kerala and ensure participation in the international film and book festivals. Discussions regarding

KPCC chief Sudhakaran raises plight of Christians in UP with PM Modi

In an open letter to PM Modi, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president K.Sudhakaran expressed deep concern over the distressing situation faced by the Christian community in parts of Uttar Pradesh

CM Vijayan, Indian Ambassador to US discuss bringing investments to Kerala

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Indian Ambassador to the United States Taranjit Singh Sandhu on Wednesday held discussions on bringing more investments to the state and the assistance that the embassy can provide for it. The ambassador, during the discussion, said there was a potential for investments in the defense and space sectors and for collaboration in the field of pharmaceutical vaccines, a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said. Vijayan also tweeted about the meeting, saying it was "productive". "Had a productive meeting with the Indian Ambassador to the US, @SandhuTaranjitS. We discussed the vital aspects of investments and collaborations for Kerala's progress and explored exciting opportunities across various sectors like space, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and tourism." he tweeted. Vijayan and Sandhu, during their meeting, also deliberated on sending health workers to America, improving their nursing education to better their standards and

Kerala approves 14th Five Year Plan approach document to transform economy

The Kerala government on Wednesday approved the approach document for the 14th Five Year Plan (2022-27), which, according to it, aims to transform multiple sectors of the economy and the entire state into a modern society. The document was approved by the state Cabinet, chaired virtually by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who is currently on a tour to the US and Cuba, a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said here. According to it, Kerala will continue to focus on areas including health, education, housing, social welfare, social justice, and gender justice, which together will serve as a force for accelerated growth of the productive sectors in the economy. The government said science and technology, higher skills, and skills available in the knowledge economy will be used to enhance the growth of agriculture, allied activities, modern industry, infrastructure development, and income-generating services. The economic policy will be designed to modernise and ...

India set to host IIAS conference on administrative reforms in 2025

The annual conference will be attended by 30 countries, 18 national sections, and over 50 IIAS universities/ institutes of public administration

World Bank assures Kerala of investment in basic infrastructure sectors

World Bank officials on Tuesday assured Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan that they were ready to make investments in the state's basic infrastructure sectors. The assurance was given to Vijayan when he met Anna Bjerde, the Managing Director (operations) of the World Bank, at Washington DC, a statement issued by his office said. In the meeting, discussions were also held regarding the progress in various projects, including the Rebuild Kerala initiative which is being carried out in collaboration with World Bank, it said. Earlier, a high-level team from World Bank had visited Kerala to review the various development and policy programmes being implemented in the state as part of the Rebuild Kerala initiative and had also held discussions with the CM, the statement said. The meeting held in Washington DC was in continuation of that, it said. Besides the CM, Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal, Chief Secretary V P Joy and Planning Board Vice Chairman V K Ramachandran also ...

Editors Guild voices concern over intimidation by Kerala govt, minister

The Editors Guild of India on Tuesday voiced concern over alleged intimidation and harassment of journalists by Union minister Smriti Irani and the CPI(M)-led government in Kerala. In a statement here, the Guild claimed that Irani intimidated a journalist during her visit to her Lok Sabha constituency Amethi on June 9 and threatened to call the owners of the Hindi daily he worked for. In a separate incident, on June 10, a senior woman journalist in Kerala was named as an accused in a First Information Report (FIR) lodged by the state police in response to a complaint filed by the Student Federation of India (SFI), the student arm of the ruling CPI(M) party. "This trigger happy approach to browbeat and harass reporters and news camera persons undermine the freedom of the press," the Guild said in a statement. "The minister's threat to call newspaper owners and couch journalistic questioning as an affront to the people, was a clear intimidatory tactic," the Guild said. It also urged

Kerala to woo women tourists with app detailing tailored packages

As more and more women are travelling solo and in groups of their own, Kerala Tourism has decided to launch a mobile application listing women-friendly tourism packages, women tourist operators and guides, as well as suitable amenities, to make the visit to the state more pleasant and hassle-free for women travellers. The State Responsible Tourism Mission (RT Mission), the nodal agency for implementing the 'Women-Friendly Tourism' project, has been asked to prepare the content of the app, which will have all location-specific information and images including the socio-cultural features of various places of Kerala, the tourism department said on Tuesday. In a release, Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas said creating a "conducive ambience for women tourists" in the state is a policy priority of the government. "We are living in a world where it has become a trend for women to travel to far off places in groups of their own or individually... The app on women-friendly tourism project .