Page 52 - Kerala

Congress top brass holds strategy meet for Kerala for 2024 Lok Sabha polls

The Congress' top brass on Thursday held a strategy meeting with party leaders from Kerala to discuss the preparations for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge chaired the meeting and former party chief Rahul Gandhi was also present there, besides state Congress president and CLP leader. A number of party MPs from Kerala in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha participated in the meeting, besides senior state leaders. "The strategy meeting of Kerala Congress leaders in Delhi, began with a silent prayer remembering former chief minister, late Shri Oommen Chandy and former governor and minister (Kerala government), late Shri Vakkom Purushothaman," Kharge said after the meeting. He said in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Kerala had blessed the Congress with 19 of the total 20 MPs. "In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, we are extremely positive that the people of this progressive state shall once again give a resounding mandate to the Congress party," he said. The part

I never hurt sentiments of any religion: Kerala Speaker on his remarks

Kerala Assembly Speaker A N Shamseer on Wednesday made it clear that he never intended to hurt sentiments of any religion, and the ongoing controversy over his recent remarks on Lord Ganesha was "very unfortunate". Addressing reporters at the media room of the Legislative Assembly complex here, the Speaker said that during his recent speech in a school in Ernakulam, he had in his capacity of a constitutional post urged to promote scientific temper and shot back stating no one has the right to question his secular credentials. "To be honest..to be frank...I am not a person who hurts the sentiments of any religion," he said. Claiming that devotees and religious believers are on his side, Shamseer said they know very well that he didn't hurt their faith or sentiments. "I never intended to hurt sentiments of any religion... What is going on in the state over the matter is very unfortunate," he said. When asked about the protests organised by NSS, the influential organisation of the ..

Kerala Startup Mission to transform into co-working space 'LEAP Coworks'

The Kerala government's nodal agency for entrepreneurship development and incubation activities in the state, KSUM, is all set to transform its industry incubators into co-working spaces called LEAP Coworks. The membership of LEAP Coworks and the opening of the renovated headquarters of the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) in the state capital would be inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday, a KSUM release said. LEAP, which is short for Launch, Empower Accelerate, Prosper, would help to empower startups and foster their culture of innovation, the release said. "The pioneering initiative comes as part of the government's mission to transform industry incubators into co-working spaces to provide further impetus to innovation, collaboration for a successful startup ecosystem. "For this, KSUM is engaged in transforming its incubation centres and partner incubation centres into a vibrant co-working space called LEAP Coworks," it said. KSUM CEO Anoop Ambika, while reveal

Rahul Gandhi leaves hospital after week-long wellness treatment in Kerala

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday completed his Ayurvedic wellness treatment at the famous Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala here and left for Delhi. In a Facebook post, Gandhi said his stay at the hospital was a rejuvenating experience. He thanked the doctors and staff for the "love and care" they shared for him. "My stay at the Arya Vaidya Sala in Kottakkal has been a rejuvenating experience. My heartfelt thanks to Dr. PM Varier and his team of doctors and other staff, for the love and care they shared with me these past few days," he posted on Facebook with a picture. On July 25, Gandhi attended a condolence meeting at Malappuram, organised by the Congress party in memory of former Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy. Last Wednesday, he offered prayers at Sri Viswambhara Temple situated on the premises of Arya Vaidya Sala. Later, Gandhi had also witnessed a Kathakali performance at PSV Natyasangham, a centre of national repute. In a Facebook post, Gandhi had said that he thor

LS polls: CPI(M) alleges Cong-BJP-ML tie-up against Left party in Kerala

Launching a scathing attack on the key anti-Left parties in Kerala, State Finance Minister K N Balagopal has alleged that the Congress, BJP and Muslim League have joined hands to defeat the CPI(M)-led alliance in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Referring to the alleged infamous political experiment of the Congress-Muslim League-BJP (Co-Le-B) tie-up in the Vadakara Lok Sabha seat in Kozhikode during the 1991 general elections, Balagopal, also a senior CPI(M) leader, alleged that its new version was being experimented at the gram panchayat levels ahead of the parliament elections next year. Balagopal charged that the recent victory of the Congress at the Ummannoor Grama Panchayat, falling under his Kottarakkara Assembly constituency, with the support of the BJP was a clear indication of taking their "unholy ties" to another level. Putting an end to the Left rule in the panchayat, where the CPI(M)-led alliance has nine members in the 20-member council, the Congress and the BJP allegedly

Kerala sanitation workers pool money to buy lottery ticket, win Rs 10 cr

The women pooled in the money to purchase a lottery ticket a few weeks ago and won the jackpot

Air India Express flight from Thiruvananthapuram returns due to AC issue

An Air India Express flight from the Kerala state capital to Dubai returned, on Sunday, barely a couple of hours after take off due to an issue with the air conditioning system of the aircraft, Thiruvananthapuram airport officials said. The flight, IX 539, which took off with 174 people onboard -- including the crew -- from here at 1.19 PM returned back and landed safely at 3.52 PM, an airport official said. "The plane landed safely. All passengers and crew are fine. A local standby was declared. It was an AC issue, " the official said. The passengers are presently at the airport and would be taking off within an hour on another flight arranged by the airline, he added.

Don't merge Ananthapuri FM with Akashvani AM radio station in Kerala: Cong

The opposition Congress in Kerala has requested the Centre not to merge the Ananthapuri FM and Akashvani AM radio stations here, claiming that it would lead to loss of employment to many dedicated and hardworking casual staff. In a letter to Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Anurag Singh Thakur, Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan has said that many of the employees who would lose their jobs due to the merger have served the two institutions for years and are presently facing financial hardship. He said it would also be difficult for them to find other suitable jobs given their age. Satheesan, in his letter requesting the minister to retract the decision to merge the two stations, also said that Ananthapuri FM holds historical significance as the first FM station in Trivandrum and it has garnered a massive listener base of over 45 lakh individuals. Besides that, it was also a revenue-generating station which contributes approximately Rs 1.5 crore

Kerala govt launches social media bidding game to promote tourism

After planning to popularise various scenic locations in the state that were featured in hit movies to boost its tourism sector, the Kerala government has come out with another innovative step to woo tourists from across the country and abroad through a bidding game that gives them a chance to win vacation packages at low prices. The game -- called 'Holiday Heist' -- has on offer tour packages at "unbelievably low prices" and if one has a knack for bidding right "in a crazy and creative manner", they will get to enjoy a vacation in God's own country "at incredibly low prices", the Kerala Tourism Department said in a release issued on Sunday. "Powered by WhatsApp, this unique game offers a thrilling bidding experience where the winners can effectively steal tour packages showcasing Kerala's globally acclaimed captivating destinations," the release said. The game revolves around the concept of 'lowest unique bidding' where participants will compete to secure tour packages with their .

Oommen Chandy bids adieu to Thiruvananthapuram, remains taken to Kottayam

Bidding adieu to the state capital, the mortal remains of former Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy -- who died in Bengaluru a day ago -- was taken to Kottayam, the stronghold of the Congress stalwart, on Wednesday morning. During his decades long political career, he had spent a major chunk of his life in the state capital as legislator, leader of the Congress party and a chief minister. His body was taken to Kottayam by road in a specially modified low-floor bus covered in garlands and pictures of Chandy and packed with party leaders and workers. The bus was sent off around 7.20 am from his residence here by a large number of party workers and supporters shouting slogans in support of the departed leader. Teary eyed party workers also walked and jogged alongside the bus and many others walked in front of it. People, with children in tow, were lined up at many places for a last glimpse of the veteran Congress leader as the bus moved through the state capital. State Cooperation

Former Kerala CM Oommen Chandy passes away at 79 after battling cancer

Oommen Chandy represented the Puthupally constituency in Kottayam district for more than 50 years. He was the MLA from Puthupally

Kerala govt suppressed actual completion cost of SilverLine: Sreedharan

The ruling CPI(M) in Kerala "suppressed" the actual completion costs of its ambitious semi-high speed rail project, SilverLine, to get approval for the same, 'Metroman' E Sreedharan said on Sunday. Sreedharan, who has proposed an alternative to the SilverLine, said the state government projected a completion cost of around Rs 64,000 crore, by excluding various estimates like the price of the wall to be built to prevent trespass onto the rail route and the hundreds of overbridges to connect both sides along the tracks. "According to our calculations, the completion cost of the SilverLine project was around Rs 1.15 lakh crore. They (state government) suppressed it to get the project approved," he told PTI. Sreedharan also contended that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) was cobbled together hastily without carrying out various investigations, like soil inspections, properly and even the actual land required for the entire project was not shown. "Lot of things in the K-Rail project ..

Kerala HC stays trial against staff of Rahul Gandhi's Wayanad office

The Kerala High Court has stayed trial proceedings in a case against staffers of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's office in Wayanad for allegedly causing damage to a photograph of Mahatma Gandhi kept inside the office. Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan issued an interim order staying the proceedings at a local court against four staff members of Rahul Gandhi in the case which was registered last year. In June last year, the student wing of the CPI(M) had allegedly vandalised the office during a protest and later a case was registered on the basis of a complaint filed by a lawyer claiming that the photograph of Mahatma Gandhi was damaged by unnamed persons. The ruling CPI(M) in Kerala had alleged that it was Rahul Gandhi's personal staff who had damaged Mahatma Gandhi's photo to put blame on SFI activists. The court, in an order dated July 13, also issued notice to the complainant in the case registered in 2022. The petitioners claimed that they were added as accused, and a final report wa

Kerala govt to deduct salary of 'dying in harness' employees flouting rule

The Kerala government on Wednesday decided to take strict action against those who gained government jobs under the dying in harness provision if they were found neglecting other dependents of the deceased employee. The decision was taken by the state cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The Cabinet noted that the employees who enter the service under such a provision were liable to protect other dependents of the deceased employees. It decided to issue an order authorising the appointing authorities to deduct 25 per cent of the monthly basic pay of such employees who do not protect their dependents and pay it to the eligible dependents. If the employees joining the service under the dying in harness provision do not take care of the needs of their dependents, including food, property, shelter, treatment, and care, they can lodge a written complaint against the said employee with the appointing authority. According to the government decision, if complaints

Kerala govt launches online portal for RTI application after SC's directive

People in Kerala no longer need to stand in queues to submit applications or send requests by post for information under the transparency law and can have access to it from the comforts of their homes thanks to the state government launching an online RTI portal following a Supreme Court directive. Prior to the launch of the portal on June 19, an application under the transparency law -- the Right to Information Act -- had to be either submitted in person before the concerned department or authority along with the requisite fees or sent by post. This was also necessitated by the fact that an online RTI portal implemented by the state government with the help of the IT Mission earlier was non-functional due to technical difficulties. Therefore, the new portal, developed with the help of the National Informatics Centre (NIC) is expected to make the access to information easier and more transparent. "The payment for the fees on the RTI online portal will be through e-Treasury Portal,"

19 people lose lives, over 10,000 displaced by heavy rains in Kerala

As many as 19 people have lost their lives and over 10,000 people have been shifted to relief camps in Kerala due to heavy monsoon rains which have been wrecking havoc in the southern state for over one week. Though the intensity of the rain appeared to decline, some parts of the the state continued to receive incessant rains on Saturday morning causing traffic jams and waterlogging in low-lying areas. According to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), a total of 19 people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents in the southern state till Saturday evening. "As many as 10,399 people are there in 227 relief camps opened across the state following heavy rains," a SDMA official told PTI. As per the figures, as many as 1,100 houses were partially damaged so far and other details of damage were not yet available, the official added. As the intensity of rain that lashed the state for the past few days reduced, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) sounded a yellow a

Cochin Shipyard partners with ASAP Kerala to impart skill training to youth

ASAP Kerala, the skill development agency of the Higher Education department, and the Cochin Shipyard Ltd would have agreed to jointly conduct training programmes for skill development of youth of marginalised sections. The 'Samathva Project' for the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and fishermen at the state level and the 'She-Skills' project for the women of Ernakulam district were inaugurated by the Minister of Higher Education R Bindu here on Friday. The project will be implemented with the help of Cochin Shipyard's CSR fund of Rs.50 lakh, an official statement said. Nine vocational programs will be implemented through the projects with the help of Cochin Shipyard's CSR Fund. The initiatives would focus on the upliftment of youth from marginalized sections. Under the 'She Skills' project, courses like medical coding, general duty assistant and housekeeping associate would be offered. The 'Samathva' project would impart training for courses like Automotive Service Technician,

8 lives lost in rains in Kerala, over 7,800 shifted to relief camps

Eight people have lost their lives in the heavy rains unleashed by the Southwest Monsoon in Kerala, which has also displaced over 7,800 people from their homes. Even as the intensity of the rains reduced on Friday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for Kannur and Kasaragod districts while there is a yellow alert in six other districts of Kerala for today. However, no red alert was sounded, indicating a drop in rainfall. The state disaster management authority (SDMA) said two deaths each were reported from Kannur and Kozhikode while one death each was reported from Alappuzha, Palakkad, Malappuram and Kasaragod districts. As many as 7,844 persons have been accommodated in 203 relief camps opened across the state, it said, adding that 51 houses in the state have been fully damaged while 1,023 houses are partially damaged due to the intense rains and the resulting floods. Earlier in the day, a minor landslide at the Gap road stretch of the Kochi-Dhanushko

Legendary artist, illustrator and sculptor Namboothiri passes away at 97

The famous illustrator and sculptor KM Vasudevan Namboothiri, from Kerala, passed away at the age of 97. PM Modi expressed his condolences on his demise

Govt which restricts press freedom danger to democracy, says Congress

The opposition Congress in Kerala on Thursday attacked the ruling CPI(M) over its recent action against an online channel and reporters of two Malayalam TV channels, saying that a government which intervenes with or restricts press freedom is an "insult" and a "danger" to democracy. Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K Sudhakaran said that the ruling Left in the state holds "grudges" against those media houses or reporters who criticise them and "takes revenge" when they get an opportunity. "That is the low standard politics of the CPI(M) in Kerala. Such a stand is reprehensible," the KPCC chief said and announced that a 'Media Freedom Meet' would be organised by it and as part of that police station marches would be held on July 26. Referring to the recent police action against a Thiruvananthapuram-based online news channel -- 'Marunadan Malayali' -- and its employees, Sudhakaran said that the force acted like "attackers" in the matter. "They can take action, but t