Page 15 - Pinarayi Vijayan

India to get its first water metro today: All you need to know about it

Kerala KWM: The Rs 1,137 crore project will connect ten small islands around Kochi with boats running on hybrid power

Kerala launches 'One Panchayat, One Playground' to revive sports culture

The Kerala government on Wednesday launched a project for reviving the sports culture in the State by opening quality playgrounds in every panchayat of the southern state. The 'One Panchayat, One Playground' project was inaugurated by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at Kallikkad here where he said that a good sports culture was essential for building a healthy and happy society. The playgrounds would serve as a hub of local gatherings and social interactions. "It is with this goal in mind that the 'One Panchayat, One Playground' project has been devised," the Chief Minister said at the event. The project will address the lack of quality playgrounds in around 450 local bodies in the State, Vijayan said. Within three years, the playgrounds will be built and for the first phase of the project, a list of 113 panchayats has been prepared, the Chief Minister said. Each playground would cost around Rs one crore, half of which would be footed by the Sports department and the rest w

In a first, Kerala adopts Water Budget to tackle problem of summer shortage

An abundance of rivers, streams, backwaters and a good amount of rainfall contribute to the lush greenery in Kerala, many parts of which yet face acute water scarcity when it comes to the summers. And this has led to the state adopting a Water Budget -- the first of its kind in the country. The details of the first phase of the Water Budget in the state covering 94 grama panchayats in 15 block panchayats were unveiled on Monday by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. At the event, Vijayan said that the state was witnessing a reduction in water availability and therefore a water budget would be helpful in properly utilising the resource and preventing wastage. Water experts welcomed the initiative and said it would help the state ascertain the demand and supply of the precious liquid resource and apportion it accordingly, as the problem was not one of availability, but of management. "It is not an issue of scarcity, it is a managerial problem," said Dr Sunny George, a limnologist

Necessary permissions for building Sabarimala airport received: Kerala CM

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday said the groundwork for building a new airport at Sabarimala has started after obtaining the necessary permissions. Vijayan said this while inaugurating a major road project in Pathanamthitta district where the famous hilltop shrine of Lord Ayyappa is located. "Process has been initiated to construct a new airport for Sabarimala. Necessary permissions for the same have been received," Vijayan said at an online event. Constructed as part of the 100-day programme of the Left front government, he said the project was initiated to speed up the development process. During the two-month annual pilgrimage season in November-December, lakhs of pilgrims arrive at the shrine from various parts of the country and also abroad. In the 2022 season, the Travancore Devaswom Board had stated that nearly 30 lakh pilgrims visited the temple. Vijayan also said funds have been allocated for the highways passing through the coastal and high-range region

Demonetisation, unscientific GST implementation caused disaster: Kerala CM

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan while inaugurating 'Entrepreneurship 2.0, Mission 1000' claimed that demonetisation and "unscientific" implementation of GST caused a disaster for the country

'Atonement for past deeds' of Sangh Parivar: Kerala CM on PM's church visit

"Bharatiya Janata Party leaders were seen visiting all the churches in Kerala. So there is no harm here. There is no harm in taking a different position," he added

Case on misuse of funds against CM sent to full bench of Kerala Lok Ayukta

The Kerala Lok Ayukta on Friday issued a split verdict on the alleged CMDRF misuse case involving Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his cabinet colleagues, and referred the matter to a larger bench. In the order pronounced today, Lok Ayukta Justice Cyriac Joseph and Justice Harun-Ul-Rashid said the matter was being referred to a larger bench as there was a difference of opinion whether the decisions of the cabinet can be subjected to its investigation and also on the merits of the case. "As there is difference of opinion between us on the basic issue whether the action of respondents 2 to 18 in taking the impugned decisions as members of the Cabinet can be subjected to investigation under the provisions of the Kerala Lok Ayukta Act, 1999 and on the merits of the allegations raised by the complainant, we are constrained to place this complaint for investigation by the Lok Ayukta and both the Upa-Lok Ayuktas together as required under Section 7(1) of the Kerala Lok Ayukta Act, 1999,"

Kerala Lokayukta to take up case against CM over mishandling of CMDRF

The Kerala Lokayukta is expected to deliver its verdict in a case against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday

Spreading false propaganda against women's safety is not good: Vijayan

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said that some people are spreading false propaganda against women's safety across the state and promoting such things is not a good tendency

UK expresses interest to partner with Kerala in higher education sector: CM

The United Kingdom has evinced interest to work with the Kerala government in the higher education sector among others, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Wednesday. Vijayan called on British Deputy High Commissioner, Chandru Iyer, here and discussed the potential in state's collaboration with the United Kingdom in the areas of healthcare, education, Fintech among others. "Had a fruitful discussion with the British Deputy High Commissioner, @chandruiyer, regarding potential collaboration between the UK and Kerala to enhance crucial sectors like education, healthcare, and scientific research. Thank you for your valuable insights and support," Vijayan tweeted. Detailing the efforts of his government, Vijayan said it has been focusing more on the quality of higher education in the state and there was ample scope to cooperate with Britain in that sector. "The Deputy High Commissioner has informed about the plan to conduct an Education World Forum. We will discuss the possibility o

Vijayan to go slow on case against 7 Oppn MLAs for Assembly fiasco: Rpt

Of the seven opposition legislators named, two are women and the FIR includes charges which can fetch imprisonment for a decade

Kerala CM announces three-tier probe in Brahmapuram fire in Assembly

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday announced a three-tier probe by different agencies into the fire that broke out in a waste treatment plant at Brahmapuram in Kochi. The special investigation team (SIT) of the state police would investigate the criminal case registered in connection with the fire that broke out on March 2, he told the state Assembly. The fire at the waste dumpyard was doused completely on March 13, the Chief Minister said while making a special statement on the issue in the House. Vijayan, who had been facing intense criticism by the opposition parties for not breaking his silence on the fire incident, made the statement in the House under the Rule 300 of the Rules of Procedures and Conduct of Business of the Assembly. "The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau will probe all the procedures at the waste treatment plant so far right from its inception, he said. At the same time, an expert team would be deployed to make recommendations on how to avo

Kerala Oppn demands clarification from CM on Swapna Suresh's allegations

Opposition Leader in the Kerala State Assembly VD Satheesan sought a reply from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPI-M's state secretary MV Govindan on fresh allegations levelled by Swapna Suresh

As Kochi smog continues for eight days, Muraleedharan slams Kerala CM

Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan on Thursday slammed Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for his silence on the ongoing problem of smog that has engulfed

Dispel perception that Sisodia was arrested for political reasons: Vijayan

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the arrest of former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia urging him to dispel the perception that the AAP leader was being targeted for political reasons. The CBI had arrested Sisodia on February 26 in connection with alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy for 2021-22. Vijayan, in his letter, said the arrest of Sisodia has "lent further force to the argument" about certain actions of the central investigation agencies. The Chief Minister said there was no incriminating evidence like cash seizure in case of Sisodia. Vijayan said the AAP leader is an elected representative of the people and has been appearing before the investigating agencies in response to their summons. "Unless the arrest was an imperative for preventing the impediment to the investigation, the desirable act would have been to avoid it. As per ...

Pinarayi Vijayan's closest aide C M Ravindran ducks appearance before ED

Ravindran, through an e-mail, informed ED officials that since he is busy with the ongoing assembly session, he will be unable to appear before them

Kerala's Kovalam beach to get facelift as govt okays Rs 93 cr-worth project

The world-renowned Kovalam beach here and its adjacent seashores will soon get a facelift with additional facilities to attract more tourists, thanks to a multi-crore development scheme by the Kerala government. The State Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, on Thursday gave nod to the Rs 93 crore-worth "Development of Kovalam and Adjacent Beaches" project. It is envisaged for the revival of Kovalam, one of the most significant beaches in the southern part of the country, and other beaches located adjacent to it and to take steps to ensure coastal protection there, a CMO statement here said. Kovalam is popular among both foreign and domestic tourists, it said. Infrastructure and transportation facilities, renovation of parks and other things would be covered under the project, which would be implemented in two phases. The Cabinet also gave nod to entrust WAPCOS as the special purpose vehicle to implement the Rs 93 crore-worth project prepared by the Kerala ...

Kerala HC rejects plea claiming arrest, detention for waving black flags

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea seeking a declaration that arrest and detention for waving black flags in protest is 'illegal' and 'unconstitutional.' The petition, which also sought compensation for those booked for waving black flags at Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in protest last year, was rejected by a bench of Chief Justice S Manikumar and Justice Murali Purushothaman. The detailed order giving reasons for dismissing the plea is not yet available, advocate Rajesh Vijayan, who appeared for the petitioner, said. The matter assumes significance as many Youth Congress workers were arrested or put in preventive detention in the last few days for waving black flags at the Kerala CM, or allegedly planning to do so, while he was in Kozhikode and other districts of the state. The plea, by one Sam Joseph, had also sought an inquiry into the alleged professional misconduct by the officers concerned who had on June 11 last year taken into preventive custody two ...

Pinarayi Vijayan's former top official Sivasankar appears before ED

The once most powerful bureaucrat in the Pinarayi Vijayan government M.Sivasankar, who retired from service in January, appeared before the Enforcement Directorate on Monday

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan hails ISRO's successful launch of SSLV

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday lavished praise on Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for its successful SSLV-D2/EOS-07 mission and termed it as a " huge milestone". In a tweet, the Chief Minister hailed ISRO's hardwork and dedication as "truly inspiring". "Congratulations to @isro on the successful SSLV-D2/EOS-07 Mission! A huge milestone as SSLV-D2 flawlessly has placed EOS-07, Janus-1, and AzaadiSAT-2 into their intended orbits. Your hard work and dedication are truly inspiring! #SSLV #EOS07 #Janus1 #AzaadiSAT2," he tweeted. ISRO on Friday tasted maiden success in the small satellite launch vehicle (SSLV) segment, with its SSLV D2 rocket injecting three satellites into an intended circular orbit, months after the maiden mission failed to bring in the desired results. Buoyed by today's success, the premier agency said the launch has "set the tone" for its activities this year, dotted with a number of proposed PSLV and GSLV missions, among others. The payl