Page 68 - Kerala

Israel to consider cooperation in agriculture, tourism sectors with Kerala

Israel has expressed willingness to consider cooperation with Kerala in the sectors of agriculture and tourism. Consul General of Israel to South India, Tammy Ben Haim informed Chief Minister Pinarayi that they would favourably consider the possibilities of cooperation. The meeting was held at the chief minister's office here on Tuesday, an official statement said. Haim assured that she would discuss with the Ministry of Tourism in Israel to see how the cooperation in the tourism sector can be taken forward. The Consul General also assured to continue the official level talks in connection with the signing of MoU with Israel companies for the development of the value-added farm products. The CM welcomed the Consul General's assurance of cooperation, it said. During the meeting, Vijayan also recalled the long-standing relationship with Israel and mentioned the Synagogue in Kochi, a symbol of early Jewish settlement in the southern state, the statement added. In a tweet, Haim sai

Kerala passes Bill to remove Guv as Chancellor, but its fate uncertain

On expected lines, the Kerala Assembly on Tuesday passed the University Laws (Amendment) Bill which removes the Governor as the Chancellor of 14 universities in the state

Smuggled gold seizures hit 3-year high; Kerala accounts for maximum cases

Gold seizures by enforcement agencies have hit a three-year high of 3,083 kg in November this year, with Kerala accounting for the maximum cases of smuggled gold seized, Parliament was informed on Monday. Gold seizures across the country have gone up this year when compared to 2,383 kg seized in the 2021 calendar year and 2,154 kg in 2020. In 2019, 3,673 kg of gold was seized. In 2022 (up to November), 3,083.61 kg of gold was seized in 3,588 cases. In Kerala, 690 kg of the yellow metal was seized in 948 cases in 2022, up from 587 kg in 2021 and 406 kg in 2020. In 2019, 725 kg was seized. Besides Kerala, states which account for high gold seizures this year till November 2022 are Maharashtra (474 kg in 484 cases), Tamil Nadu (440 kg in 809 cases) and West Bengal (369 kg in 214 cases). Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said the Customs field formations and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) keep constant vigil and take operational measures, such as passenger

Enforcement agencies seize 3,083 kg gold till Nov; Kerala saw most seizures

Enforcement agencies have seized 3,083 kg of gold till November this year, with Kerala accounting for the maximum number of seizures, Parliament was informed Monday. Gold seizures across the country have gone up this year when compared to 2,383 kg seized in the 2021 calendar year and 2,154 kg in 2020. In 2019, 3,673 kg of gold was seized. In 2022 (up to November), 3,083.61 kg of gold was seized in 3,588 cases. In Kerala, 690 kg of yellow metal was seized in 2022, up from 587 kg in 2021 and 406 kg in 2020. In 2019, 725 kg was seized. Besides Kerala, states which account for high gold seizures this year till November 2022 are Maharashtra (474 kg), Tamil Nadu (440 kg) and West Bengal (369 kg). Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said the government makes policy interventions and takes operational measures to check smuggling. In the last three years, National Investigation Agency (NIA) has conducted investigations and filed charge sheets in three cases of gold smuggling, h

Kerala CM Vijayan blames state BJP, Congress for 'derailment' of K-Rail

The project is not shelved and the Centre has not informed us that the detailed project report is incomplete

Shashi Tharoor an asset to party, says Kerala state Congress chief

The statement came in the wake of reports of a tussle inside the Congress' state unit after Shashi Tharoor actively started participating in events and meeting with religious and political leaders

Kerala HC proposes extending time of worship at Sabarimala to control crowd

Kerala High Court on Sunday proposed an extension of the time of worship for devotees at the Sabarimala temple by an hour on busy days.The Devaswom Bench of the high court mooted the proposal after convening a special sitting on Sunday.The court had asked the Board to consider extending the time of worship after taking suo motu cognisance of a recent rush of devotees at the Sabarimala temple, which left quite a few of them injured.The Bench of Justices Anil K Narendran and PG Ajithkumar also dircted the Pathanamthitta district collector and the police to control the crowd at the Sabarimala shrine.The lawyer for the Devaswom board submitted in court that a decision on extending the time of worhsip can only be made after holding consultations with the temple's chief priest, owing to certain ritualistic considerations.The Devaswom Board said bookings are increasing despite attempts made to control the congestion at the temple through virtual queues.The police and the Devaswom Board made .

Kerala CM inaugurates India's biggest business jet terminal in Kochi

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday inaugurated a new Business Jet Terminal at Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL)

India surviving because of teachings of shankaracharyas, sages: Kerala guv

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Saturday said India is surviving because of the teachings of saints such as shankaracharyas and sages. Khan was speaking at a function in Mumbai where he received the SIES (South Indian Education Society) Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi award for public leadership. "India is surviving because of the teachings of saints like Shankaracharya and rishis. Indian civilisation is not only ancient but it is dynamic to create and face challenges, with the result that its continuity is ensured," he said. Shankaracharya is a religious title used by the heads of monasteries called mathas in the Advaita Vedanta tradition of Hinduism.

Kerala seed farm declared as first carbon neutral farm in the country

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday declared a seed farm, located in Aluva here, as the first carbon neutral farm in the country. A significant reduction in carbon emission has helped the seed farm, under the Agricultural Department, achieve the carbon neutral status, he said making the announcement. The total amount of carbon emission from the farm, located at Thuruthu in Aluva, in the last one year was 43 tons but its overall procurement was 213 ton, he said. Compared to the emission rate, as many as 170 tons of more carbon have been procured at the farm, which helped it to be declared as the first carbon neutral seed farm in the country, the Chief Minister explained. "Carbon neutral farms will be set up in all 140 Assembly constituencies...Efforts have already been launched to make 13 farms in Kerala carbon neutral," he said Carbon neutral agricultural methods would be implemented through women's groups and such interventions would be made in the tribal sector a

V-Guard Industries to acquire Sunflame Enterprises for Rs 660 crore

Deal likely to close by mid-Jan 2023, will be funded by mix of internal accruals and debt

PFI conspiracy case: NIA raids three locations in Kerala, Karnataka

The National Investigation Agency on Thursday conducted searches at three locations in Kerala and Karnataka in connection with a criminal conspiracy by the PFI to carry out terror activities in the country, an official said. The raids were carried out in Kozhikode district of Kerala and Kalaburagi district of Karnataka and led to the seizure of incriminating materials, including digital devices and various documents, a spokesperson of the NIA said. The official said the searches were carried out in connection with a case registered suo motu by the federal agency against the proscribed Popular Front of India (PFI) on April 13. "The case pertains to the criminal conspiracy hatched by the office bearers, members and cadres of PFI, to raise and collect funds within India and abroad to commit or get committed acts of terror in different parts of the country, including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi. "It was also revealed that the accused persons were conducting

Way clear for India's longest elevated 6-lane flyover in Kerala's Alappuzha

The decks have been cleared for the work to begin on the construction of the country's longest elevated 6-lane flyover in Kerala's Alappuzha district at a cost of Rs 1,668.50 crore

Kerala CM makes statement on Vizhinjam; says rehabilitation top priority

A day after the months-long protest against the under-construction Vizhinjam sea port was called off here, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday said rehabilitation of local people and protection of their livelihood are top priorities of his government while implementing development projects. The Left government has assured this in all development projects and the approach is the same in the case of Vizhinjam port as well, he said in a statement made in the Assembly under Rule 300. Noting that the government is committed to the infrastructure development of the state that lays the foundation for Kerala's sustainable economic growth, he said it is also particular about the fact that the projects should be implemented with a humane approach. He said the protest committee had decided to call off the strike during a high-level talk held here on Tuesday. The CM also informed the House about the details of the demands raised by the agitators and the decisions taken on ...

Vizhinjam makes it to Kerala Assembly; CM says rehabilitation top priory

A day after the months-long protest against the under-construction Vizhinjam sea port was called off here, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday said rehabilitation of local people and protection of their livelihood are top priorities of his government while implementing development projects. The Left government has assured this in all development projects and the approach is the same in the case of Vizhinjam port as well, he said in a statement made in the Assembly under Rule 300. Noting that the government is committed to the infrastructure development of the state that lays the foundation for Kerala's sustainable economic growth, he said it is also particular about the fact that the projects should be implemented with a humane approach. He said the protest committee had decided to call off the strike during a high-level talk held here on Tuesday. The CM also informed the House about the details of the demands raised by the agitators and the decisions taken on ...

Kerala facing 'unprecedented financial crisis', says finance minister

Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal on Tuesday said the state is reeling under unprecedented financial crisis and attributed the "distorted" financial policies of the Centre, the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic and recurring natural disasters as reason for the poor economic condition. The minister, however, made it clear that the Left government was moving ahead with a "clear road map" and financial discipline to overcome the crisis and resolve the issues. He was replying to a question during the Question Hour session in the state Assembly. "It is true that the state is facing an unprecedented financial crisis. However, the reasons contributing to the crisis are beyond the control of the state...that is the fact," Balagopal said. Compared to the previous financial year, there was a dip of Rs 6716 crore in the revenue deficit grant (released to the state by the Centre) during the ongoing financial year, he informed the House. However, the minister replied in negative to a question

Kerala govt to get closed-down Coke factory property; protesters up in arms

The Plachimada Struggle Solidarity Committee, which saw to the closure of the Coca-Cola factory in Palakkad in 2004, is getting ready for another battle with the multi-American beverages giant

ED attaches Kerala cooperative bank agent's assets worth Rs 30.70 crore

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached assets worth Rs 30.70 crore of a commission agent of Karuvannur Service Co-operative Bank Ltd, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in a cheating case. According to ED, the attached assets include 20 immovable properties consisting of land and building in Kerala, two premium cars, Rs 3,40,000 and foreign currency totalling Rs 2,08,124. The sleuths attached bank balances also in A K Bijoy's 57 accounts worth Rs 35,86 990. The central agency said he illegally sanctioned and disbursed loan to the tune of Rs 26.60 crore in cash without any collateral due to systematic conspiracy hatched and perpetuated by the secretary and committee members of the bank since 2010. "The ED initiated a money laundering investigation on the basis of the FIRs registered by the Kerala police under section 420 of the IPC. Kerala police (Crime Branch) has registered more than 16 FIRs in Thrissur District regarding fraud in Karuvannur Service Co-Operative .

Bills to remove Guv as chancellor, up tax on foreign liquor in Assembly

The seventh session of the Kerala Legislative Assembly, set to begin from Monday, is expected to see heated discussions on various Bills. The Bills include the one which aims to take away the powers of the Chancellor from the Governor, the issue of Vizhinjam port protests, and the controversy over appointments in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. The session was convened in the wake of the ongoing tussle between Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and the ruling LDF over functioning of universities in the State and appointments therein. However, the Bill to replace the Governor with eminent academicians at the helm of universities in the State is just one among over 20 other Bills which are expected to be taken up in the House during the session which concludes on December 15. Another important Bill that is likely to witness heated discussions is the Kerala General Sales Tax (Amendment) Bill which aims to increase by four per cent the Kerala GST on foreign liquor to make up for the loss

Adani group sought deployment of central forces at Vizhinjam site: Minister

Kerala Transport Minister Antony Raju said that the Adani Group approached the High Court requesting the security cover of central forces in its port construction site in Vizhinjam