Page 53 - Kerala

Freedom of press under attack in Kerala, alleges ex-I&B Minister Javadekar

Expressing concern over the police action against certain media houses in Kerala, former Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadeker said on Wednesday that freedom of the press was under attack in the state and accused the Left government of "terrorising the media" for exposing its alleged wrongdoings. Referring to the cases registered against a woman reporter of a prominent Malayalam news channel in Kochi a few weeks ago and the recent police action against a Thiruvananthapuram-based online news channel and its employees, the senior BJP leader alleged that those were the "first kind of terrorism against the media" in the southern state. He said the actions of the Left government against the media and media personnel clearly showed its 'political vendetta' against those who expose the alleged wrongdoings of the Pinarayi Vijayan-led dispensation. "This is clearly a political vendetta and an attack on freedom of the press. This is the Kerala government's effort to terroris

Muslim groups in Kerala to put up legal, political fight against UCC

UCC is not an issue of Muslims, it is of all people. We will unite all people against it and fight legally and politically,' said Indian Union Muslim League(IUML) state president

Kerala gets ODF Plus status for proper sanitation, waste disposal

Kerala has been bestowed with the 'Open Defecation Free (ODF) Plus' status by the Centre for making all the villages in the state meet the parameters prescribed under the Swachh Bharat Mission, the state government said on Sunday. The southern state gained the coveted status as all the villages have been equipped with modern facilities for sanitation and waste disposal as per the parameters set by the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, a release issued by the Kerala Solid Waste Management Project (KSWMP) said. Kerala is targeting to achieve 100 per cent ODF Model status by December 2023 and is expected to become the first state in the country to achieve that goal, it said. According to the KSWMP release, the criteria for declaring a village as ODF Plus includes its sustained ODF status along with implementing either solid or liquid waste management systems. "The focussed efforts by all villages and grama panchayats in meeting the yardsticks in this regard helped Kerala attain the status

Punjab delegation visits Kerala to learn tech to plug revenue leakage

A Punjab government delegation led by Finance and Excise Minister Harpal Singh Cheema visited Kerala to learn about technological interventions in plugging revenue leakage and raising excise revenue. The delegation also comprised Financial Commissioner, Taxation, Vikas Partap, and Excise Commissioner Varun Roojam. Their visit to Kerala also included learning about the supply chain management ERP software and point of sale system being used by the Kerala Excise department, said an official release. "The purpose of the visit was to learn about the technological interventions which are important from the point of view of plugging revenue leakages and enhancing the excise revenue," Cheema said. He said the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software will provide the Punjab Excise Department an integrated and real-time view of its core processes. These would be easily accessible through one centralised system, the minister said. Cheema said this software will help in enhancing transpar

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan calls medicos 'pillars' of public health sector

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday extended greetings to medicos on the occasion of National Doctor's Day and described them as 'pillars' of the public health sector. The committed efforts of doctors in maintaining the wellness of our society make them pillars of our public health sector, he tweeted. The CM urged everybody to ensure support for their "exemplary service". "On this #DoctorsDay, let's salute their firm will and resoluteness in providing healthcare and ensure support for their exemplary services," Vijayan added.

CPI(M) has become a Muslim party: Kerala BJP chief hits out at CM Vijayan

Earlier, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Friday that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is on the electoral agenda of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)

Kerala CM alleges electoral agenda behind UCC move, urges govt to withdraw

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday alleged that the "electoral agenda" of the BJP is behind raking up the issue of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and urged the Central government to withdraw from the move to impose it. In a statement, Vijayan, who is also a senior leader of the CPI(M), said the Centre's move can only be seen as a plan to implement the "majority communal agenda of 'one nation, one culture' by wiping out the cultural diversity of the country". "The Central Government and the Law Commission should withdraw from the move to impose the Uniform Civil Code," he said.

Kerala Gov justifies withdrawing pleasure from state FM Balagopal last year

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Friday justified withdrawing his pleasure from state Finance Minister K N Balagopal last year over his remarks on people from other states, and said withdrawal of pleasure does not mean his dismissal. Khan said he still strongly holds the view that if a person who has taken the oath to uphold the unity and integrity of India says publicly that those who hailing from a particular region of the country cannot have understanding of the education system of another state of the country, it is a violation of the oath. "So, expression of displeasure is different...in that sense it was. Because in my opinion it was. (But) Chief Minister did not consider it violation of oath, he is continuing," he told reporters here. He was responding to the queries of reporters regarding the incident in October last in the wake of the ongoing tussle between the Governor and the government in Tamil Nadu. On Thursday, hours after dismissing minister V Senthil Balaji fro

Kerala launches new scheme to provide jobs opportunities to transgenders

The Kerala government has launched a new scheme to provide employment opportunities to the transgender community in diverse and innovative sectors. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday said the Pride project is being implemented with the objective of ensuring the participation of the marginalised group in the knowledge employment sector. The state-run Knowledge Economy Mission and the Social Justice Department are jointly implementing the programme, he said in a Facebook post. The project is also part of the government's initiative to provide employment to 20 lakh people by 2026, he explained. The Chief Minister said the LDF government is committed to ensuring all kinds of civil and human rights and providing support to the TG community. The project would help them resolve their unemployment issues and address the invisibility crisis they were facing in the society through better job opportunities, he added.

Karnataka's dairy brand Nandini puts on hold its Kerala expansion plan

Popular Karnataka dairy brand Nandini, which opened a few of its outlets in Kerala recently, has decided to put on hold its expansion plan in this southern state. Kerala Minister for Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development, and Milk Cooperatives J Chinchurani said she has received information in this regard from the CEO of the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), which uses the trade name Nandini. "Information has been received from the CEO that Nandini will not open new outlets in the state for the time being," the minister told reporters here. Welcoming the KMF's decision, Chinchurani said this shift has come in the wake of change of government in Karnataka following the victory of the Congress. She also said the state wanted the milk and milk products of the Kerala Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation's (KCMMF) Milma. The CPI (M)-led LDF government in Kerala had recently expressed concern over the entry into the state of milk and dairy products from Karnataka's Nandini. The Kerala ..

Calicut airport land issue: Scindia writes to Vijayan, expresses 'anguish'

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has expressed "deep anguish" to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over the state government's delay in providing the required land for having a runway end safety area at Calicut airport, which witnessed a fatal plane crash in 2020. Scindia also said that if the land is not provided to the Airports Authority of India (AAI), then the civil aviation ministry will be left with no choice but to proceed with action to curtail the runway length for safe aircraft operations from August. The airport at Calicut, also known as Kozhikode, is operated by AAI. Following the deadly crash of an Air India Express aircraft on August 7, 2020, at Calicut airport, a central government-appointed expert panel recommended that the state government may be requested to provide filled-up levelled land for the provision of Runway End Safety Area (RESA). The committee had also said that in case the required land is not made available, the runway length should b

Situation from Kashmir to Kerala makes sedition law crucial: Law panel head

Amid a clamour for repeal of the law on sedition, Law Commission chairman Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi on Tuesday said the present situation from Kashmir to Kerala and Punjab to the North-East makes it must to retain the law to safeguard the "unity and integrity of India". Defending the panel's recommendation to retain the law, which is at present under abeyance following directions of the Supreme Court issued in May last year, he said enough safeguards have been proposed to prevent its misuse. In an exclusive interview, he told PTI that special laws such as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the National Security Act operate in different fields and do not cover the offence of sedition and therefore, the specific law on sedition needed to be there too. Justice Awasthi asserted that while considering the usage of the law on sedition the panel found that "the present situation right from Kashmir to Kerala and Punjab to the North-East is such that the law on sedition is necessary

Kerala has received 65% deficit rainfall so far during monsoon: IMD

Kerala, the gateway of the monsoon into the mainland of the country, has received deficient rainfall so far, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The southwest monsoon arrived in Kerala on June 8, nearly a week after its normal onset date of June 1. Compared to the normal south-west monsoon rainfall for the corresponding period, Kerala had a deficit of 65 per cent from the normal rainfall. The regional meteorological department, Kerala, however, said that the south-westerly winds are getting stronger, and more rainfall is expected in the coming days. "We have received only minus 65 per cent rainfall in Kerala. All the districts in Kerala have received below-normal rainfall this season so far," Dr V K Mini, director in charge, IMD, Kerala, told PTI. She said due to various factors, like the cyclones that formed over the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, the south-west monsoon had a slow pick-up and slow progression. "The pick-up started only last week. Now we a

Congress does not fear politics of vendetta: Rahul after meeting Sudhakaran

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday met party's Kerala unit chief K Sudhakaran who was arrested recently in a cheating case, and said the party "does not fear the politics of vendetta". At the meeting held here, Sudhakaran was accompanied by Leader of Opposition in Kerala V D Satheesan and AICC general secretary in-charge for the state Tariq Anwar. "The Congress party doesn't fear the politics of intimidation and vendetta," Gandhi tweeted after the meeting, sharing a picture with Kerala leaders. The development comes after Sudhakaran had offered to quit as the president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC). However, on Sunday, the KPCC chief said he would continue to lead the state Congress unit as desired by the party's senior leadership and high command. On June 23, the state Crime Branch arrested the Kannur MP after questioning him in a cheating case in which the prime accused is controversial antique dealer Monson Mavunkal. Meanwhile, the Vigilance Wing of the Ke

The Kerala Story yet to find OTT buyers, director says industry ganged up

Directed by Sudipto Sen, The Kerala Story created a stir upon its release and became a box office hit

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 .