Page 3 - Kerala

Government must declare health emergency in Kochi: Oppn on Brahmapuram fire

The LoP claimed that various departments including health, local self-government and disaster management were inactive at Brahmapuram

Kochi chokes on pollution as fumes from waste plant fire continues

High Court says city 'trapped in gas chamber'; IAF choppers spray water; schools shut for two days

Central policies financially choking state, its development work: Kerala FM

The Centre through its various policies on borrowing was financially choking Kerala and the welfare and developmental activities it was undertaking, state Finance Minister K N Balagopal said in the Assembly on Monday. The Minister referred to the financial restrictions by the Centre in response to a query by CPI(M) MLA I B Satheesh on how the central government was trying to weaken the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) which bankrolls the majority of developmental projects in the state. Balagopal said that one of the means adopted by the central government to financially choke the state was by adding to its borrowings the loans taken by KIIFB and the company which takes care of social security pensions. However, the Central government implements national highway projects through loans taken by entities like National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), but these are not added to the borrowings by the Centre, he said. "This is the double standards of the central ...

Kerala police conducts 'search' of Asianet News office in Kozhikode

Kerala police on Sunday carried out a "search" at the office of Malayalam news channel Asianet News here in connection with a case. A senior police officer, who was leading the team that arrived at the Kozhikode office of the news channel, later told reporters here that the "search" was carried out as part of the investigation in the case. "No documents have been taken," the officer said. According to news reports, the case registered by police is based on a complaint lodged by a politician alleging that an interview done by the channel of a schoolgirl who was allegedly forced to work as a drug courier was fake news. The police search comes just a couple of days after a group of SFI activists allegedly trespassed into the Kochi office of the news channel and intimidated the staff. Following the police search, Asianet News tweeted: "Days after SFI hooliganism, Kerala Police conducts 'search' at Asianet News Kozhikode office. Regardless, Asianet News continues to report, true to its

Centre to focus on holistic development of Kerala, says Mandaviya

The Union govt has given special focus on holistic development of Kerala, based on the mantra of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishvaas, Sabka Prayaas, said Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya

Kerala Health dept orders closure of water park due to Leptospiroris scare

The health department meanwhile has decided to check all those who visited the theme park after February 17

PM Modi slams rivals for propaganda, sets sights on party win in Kerala

Buoyed by the BJP's performance in polls in three northeastern states, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday set his sights on Kerala by citing increasing support of minorities for the party and slammed rivals saying they are wishing 'mar ja Modi' but people have been chanting 'mat ja Modi'. With the BJP retaining power in Tripura on its own and with its senior ally in Nagaland and set to be part of the government in Meghalaya, Modi hit out at the Congress for its president Mallikarjun Kharge's attempt to play down his party's poor show in the polls by describing it as "small state elections". "This is an insult to these states and their mandate," Modi said, adding that it underscores the Congress' vote bank politics in which the interests of the poor, Dalits and other deprived sections have been ignored. This mindset has harmed the country a lot and will sink the Congress, he said. The BJP's rivals and their ecosystem have repeatedly tried to paste one label or another against t

Left Democratic Front wins 14 seats in local body bypolls in Kerala

The United Democratic Front (UDF) won 12 seats, National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won 2 seats and independent candidates won 4 seats in the bypolls held on Tuesday

Kerala, UN Women sign pact to boost women-friendly activities in tourism

The Kerala government on Sunday entered into an agreement with the United Nations (UN) Women to boost women-friendly activities in the State's tourism sector. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by Kerala Tourism and UN Women India agreed to work towards promoting gender-inclusive tourism sites in the State. The MoU was signed by Kerala Tourism Director P B Nooh and UN Women India representative Susan Ferguson and it would be implemented by the Responsible Tourism Mission, a government release said. "As per the pact inked at the first-ever Global Responsible Tourism Summit in Kumarakom near this city, both parties will promote women-friendly tourism in Kerala. This will be done by creating modules and capacity-building of relevant stakeholders, besides providing advisory support for baseline research, implementing women-friendly tourist destinations and supporting interventions to change prevalent discriminatory social norms," the release said. Kerala Tourism Minister P A .

Kerala becomes first state to use robotic scavengers to clean manholes

The Kerala government on Friday launched robotic scavenger, Bandicoot, to clean sewages in this temple town, becoming the first state in the country to use robotic technology to clean all its commissioned manholes. Water Resources Minister, Roshi Augustine, launched Bandicoot under the Guruvayur Sewerage Project in Thrissur district by the Kerala Water Authority (KWA), as part of the 100-day action plan of the state government. "With the launch of the project in Guruvayur, manual scavenging in Kerala has ended. Now Kerala has become the first state in the country to use robotic scavengers to clean manholes," Minister claimed in a release. The robotic Tron Unit, which is the major component of Bandicoot, enters the manhole and removes sewage using robotic hands, similar to a man's limbs, the release, adding that the machine has waterproof, HD vision cameras and sensors that can detect harmful gases inside the manholes. Bandicoot, developed by Kerala-based Genrobotics, had recently .

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 ...

A governor's role is to ensure state govts work as per law: Arif Khan

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Tuesday said a governor would never like to become an obstacle for any state government and that they are there to ensure whatever a government does is in accordance with the law. His remarks came amid a row between Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Differences between the state governments and governors have also surfaced in some other places. Khan said a governor is accountable to the President of India while a state government is accountable to its people. He was here to attend India Minority Conclave 2023, organised by NID Foundation. Replying to a question on the tussle between the governor and the chief minister in Punjab, Khan said, "We must understand, from the constitutional provisions, what is the role of the governor. The role of the governor is to ensure that the business of the government is conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and the laws, rules and regulations." A ro

CPM Kerala continues to attack Jamaat-e-Islami over talks with RSS

The ruling CPI (M) in Kerala on Tuesday continued to target the Jamaat-e-Islami over its recent discussion with the RSS and urged the Muslim outfit to explain to the public benefits of the parleys. Party state secretary M V Govindan charged that the organisation was accusing the Left party of 'spreading Islamophobia' to deliberately cover up their stand towards the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. He was speaking to reporters in the district in between the party's state-wide month-long People's Defence Rally, which began here on Monday. Stepping up his attack, Govindan said, "The Jamaat-e-Islami should explain to the people clearly what they are going to achieve by holding discussions with the RSS. The fact is that by using the term Islamophobia, a deliberate attempt is being made to cover up the stand of the Jamaat-e-Islami and the RSS." They were trying to blame the CPI (M) for that, he claimed and demanded that the outfit explain the benefit of holding talks with the Sangh Parivar.

Food Safety Dept to undergo performance audits district-wise in Kerala

The Food Safety Department would undergo a performance audit district-wise in the state to evaluate its enforcement activities, the Kerala government has said. As the number of people eating from outside is increasing, food safety cannot be compromised and therefore, the department should strengthen its enforcement activities, Health Minister Veena George said. Speaking at a meeting of the Assistant Commissioners of the Food Safety Department, the minister also said that the government would not allow corruption in the department as it was a bigger offense than adulteration of food. She said that food safety officials should take action in accordance with law, but not wrong ones. Strict action would be taken against food safety officials who are corrupt, the minister added, according to the release. George said that performance audits would be carried out on a district basis in the Food Safety Department and the districts would be ranked based on the outcome. Performance of all .

Kerala co-bank scam: Complainant appears before ED, alleges Rs 300-cr fraud

MV Suresh, the first of severa persons to have filed complaints alleging fraud at the CPI(M)-controlled Karuvannur cooperative bank in Thrissur district, appeared before the ED on Monday

Protection of coastal areas from erosion of utmost importance: Kerala govt

The protection of the state's coastal areas, facing erosion due to strong sea waves, is of the utmost importance and Rs 1,500 crore has been allocated for the same, the Kerala government has said. Kerala Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine said that around Rs 5,400 crore would have to be spent for protecting the coastal areas from erosion. Of that Rs 1,500 crore has been allocated under a KIIFB project, he said on Sunday after inaugurating the reconstructed seawalls in Azhikkal coastal area of Azhikode constituency in Kannur district of the state. Augustine, at the event, said the major problem being faced by the people in coastal areas was sea water entering their homes and disrupting their living conditions. He said the reconstruction of the seawalls in Azhikkal in a time-bound manner was an example of the government's tireless efforts to resolve the problem faced by people living in coastal areas. Similarly, construction of seawalls, using tetrapods, was 80 per cent comple

Global meet on Tourism Technology to be held in Kerala on February 24

Kerala will host the 4th edition of the International Conference on Tourism Technology (ICTT) here, highlighting the role and potential of technology, social media and smartphone apps in the growth of travel and hospitality industry. The Association of Tourism Trade Organisations, India (ATTOI), with the support of Kerala Tourism, would organise the event here on February 24. ATTOI President Vinod C S said the ICTT 2023 will provide a valuable platform for industry professionals and experts in India to come together to share knowledge, network and discuss the latest trends and developments in tourism online marketing. A major objective of the conference is to keep the industry updated on the latest regulations, standards and best practices related to the use of technology in tourism. Such a conference can be particularly important for the tourism industry as technology plays an increasingly critical role in how people plan, book, and experience travel, he noted. "It can provide ..

LIFE Mission scam case: ED arrests former principal secretary to Kerala CMO

The case pertains to the state government's LIFE Mission project, which intends to build houses for 140 families in Wadakkanchery in Thrissur district through the LIFE Mission scheme

Kerala may not meet fiscal target for FY24 due to high debt: India Ratings

Kerala, which is a highly-indebted state, may find it challenging to meet the fiscal deficit target set for FY24 in the annual budget, a rating agency said. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala presented its annual budget last week projecting revenue and fiscal deficit at Rs 23,942 crore or 2.1 per cent of GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) and at Rs 39,662 crore or 3.5 per cent of GSDP, respectively, for FY24. At this rate, the fiscal deficit would be just about touching the limits, 3 per cent of GSDP, and additional 0.5 per cent subject to the central government conditions, according to India Ratings, which sees revenue and fiscal deficits to be higher at 2.4 per cent and 3.9 per cent, respectively, of GSDP in FY24. This, according to the rating agency, is mainly due to a shortfall in revenue receipts and the overstated nominal GSDP growth. The state's revised revenue deficit for FY23 came in at Rs 19,916 crore or 2 per cent of GSDP, compared to the FY23 budget .

GST compensation to some states delayed due to lack of AG certificate: FM

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said GST compensation to some states is delayed due to non-availability of AG's authenticated certificate, and that Kerala has not sent even a single such certificate since 2017-18. Replying to a supplementary question, she also said that Rs 86,912 crore has been released for the Goods and Services Tax (GST) compensation payable to all states up to May 31, 2022. She said as per law, GST Council decides to whom the GST compensation is to be released, not by the central government. AG's certification is (mandatory) by law between the Centre, states and the AG (accountant general), and it is an agreed process. So, unless the authentication is given by the AG.. she said. The finance minister said if there is any delay of getting the AG's authentication, it is a matter between the AG and the state government concerned, and they have to sort it out. If between them there is a problem, the authentication certificate gets delayed in reac