Kerala

Speaker M.B. Rajesh on Sunday ordered a probe into the alleged incident of an Italy-based expatriate, who was not on the list of invitees to the third Loka Kerala Sabha, attending an open forum event. The Assembly watch and ward had reportedly escorted her out of the Assembly complex after her presence was noticed near the Sabha TV office. The woman has been associated with a high profile confidence trickster, who was recently arrested on charges of peddling fake antiquities. The Speaker has directed the Chief Marshal of the Assembly to conduct an inquiry. The investigation will look into how she managed to get inside the complex, bypassing security checks. There were speculations that she had entered along with the crew of a private television channel. Only non-resident Keralite (NoRKs) delegates of the Loka Kerala Sabha, special invitees and mediapersons were allowed entry to the Assembly, the event venue. NoRKA-Roots vice chairperson P. Sreeramakrishnan said not a single … [Read more...] about Probe into entry of expatriate at Loka Kerala Sabha

Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal said Kerala was not moving towards debt trap. Inaugurating the Pazhayangadi sub treasury building at Eripuram, he said government spending had increased over the past two to three years. During the pandemic, there were food kits, medicines, and hospital expenses. Two packages worth ₹20,000 crore were implemented. A package of ₹5,800 crore was implemented for traders and retailers, he said. “It is because of such interventions that there were no starvation deaths in Kerala during the pandemic. This is administrative excellence, and the government will continue to spend more money on such initiatives,” the Minister said. He added that necessary funds were also being set apart for infrastructure development. Funds are being released for the modernisation of roads, hospitals, and schools. The Minister said the government would go ahead with new projects. Treasuries are on the path of modernisation. The state-of-the-art Pazhayangadi sub treasury … [Read more...] about Kerala not moving towards debt trap, says Finance Minister

Key accused in the Kerala gold smuggling case, Swapna Suresh, appeared before the Kochi unit of the Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday after being summoned by the probe agency in view of her recent statement before a magistrate court here under section 164 of the CrPC. Suresh, who reached the ED office at 11 am, left the office at around 5 pm, sources said. Suresh's appearance before the ED comes in wake of her fresh allegations against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his family members, a few politicians associated with the ruling Left, and some top bureaucrats in connection with certain smuggling cases. The revelation made before the media by Suresh, subsequent to recording her statement under Section I64 before the court early this month, has kept the political pot boiling in Kerala as opposition party activists clashed with police across the state for several days demanding the resignation of the CM alleging that he was trying to escape the probe through "blatant abuse … [Read more...] about Kerala Gold Smuggling Case: Swapna Suresh Appears Before ED

The Kerala High Court on Friday granted bail to senior politician P C George in a hate speech case registered in Thiruvananthapuram. George was arrested on Wednesday after a Magisterial court in Thiruvananthapuram cancelled the bail granted to the veteran politician in a case accusing him of making a hate speech against Muslims on April 29. Earlier, in the same case, police had arrested George on May 1 for allegedly making a communal speech against Muslims while addressing the ‘Ananthapuri Hindu Maha Sammelanam’ on April 29. However, he was given bail on the same day itself. The 70-year-old former MLA had sparked off a controversy by asking non-Muslims in Kerala to avoid eating at restaurants run by the community. Subsequently, on May 10, another case was registered against him at Palarivattom police station in Ernakulam on charges of hate speech related to another event here. He was arrested on May 25 for violating the bail conditions in the Thiruvananthapuram hate speech case. … [Read more...] about Kerala HC Grants Bail to Ex-MLA P C George in Hate Speech Case

Following recent provocative sloganeering, Kerala Popular Front (PFI) leader Yahiya Tangal made a shocking comment about High Court judges on Saturday, claiming that their “innerwear is saffron.” “Courts are getting shocked easily now. High court judges are getting shocked after hearing the slogans of our Alappuzha rally. Do you know the reason? The reason is that their innerwear is saffron. Since it’s saffron, they will get heated very fast. You will feel the burn and it will disturb you,” Tangal said at a rally in Alappuzha, according to a report by the Hindustan Times . The comment came after the Kerala High Court expressed shock at a minor’s aggressive slogans shouted during a PFI demonstration in Alappuzha, Kerala, on May 21. During the PFI’s ‘Save the Republic’ event, a youngster can be seen perched on a person’s shoulder and shouting reportedly provocative slogans. “Hindus should keep rice for their last rites and Christians should keep incense for their last rites. If … [Read more...] about PFI Leader Says Judges’ ‘Innerwear is Saffron’ After Kerala HC Seeks Action Against Provocative Rally

With an aim to boost tourism in the state, Kerala has launched responsible tourism clubs throughout the state. The state government wants to involve the local communities and ensure responsible travel. Apart from boosting tourism, the clubs reportedly aspire to preserve the local art and culture and implement green protocols. Aligning with the previously launched Destination Challenge, the new initiative will be helping the state government to increase sustainability and responsibility. In the next four years, the Destination Challenge aims to identify and develop 500 tourism spots. The state tourism department has already rolled out the first set of responsible tourism clubs at colleges and universities. This was done in collaboration with the state’s Higher Education Department. Kozhikode, one of the state’s most prominent ports, is one of those destinations which will witness a Comprehensive Responsible Tourism Development. In three years, the government also reportedly aims … [Read more...] about To Boost Tourism, Kerala Sets up Responsible Tourism Clubs

Photoshop or photo manipulation has emerged as a popular technique in recent years that is used by several experts to transform images. At times it is frowned upon, especially when used with an intention to deceive viewers. But over time it has been accepted as a form of art since it requires a good deal of creativity on part of the artist. One such artist from Kerala has impressed many netizens with his amazing photoshop skills. Let us check out some of his works: View this post on Instagram DeepVeer ❤️ #Childhood . Pls mension @ranveersingh @deepikapadukone . . #bollywood #2 . . #deepveer @ranveersingh.india.fc @ranveer_singh_jabra_fan @ranveersinghsfanclub @incinkrecords @ranveersingh_fc @deepikapadukonekeralafc_ @ranveersinghglorious @fan_of_ranveersingh @deepika.padukone.fanpage @deepikacraze_ @ranveersinghglorious @deepveerworldwide @anjubhavnani @_slowcheeta_ @83thefilm #83 @neranee #ranveersingh … [Read more...] about This Kerala Artist is Recreating Celebrities’ Photographs to Create Amazing Art, Netizens are in Awe

The Kerala Rail Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL), a joint venture between the State and the Railways for executing viable projects on a cost-sharing basis, on Thursday said the State government has no plan to freeze the proposed SilverLine project. Addressing Janasamaksham 2.0, an online interaction programme organised by K-Rail to address the apprehensions of people about the project, V. Ajithkumar, K-Rail managing director, said there was no going back on the project. The State government was going ahead with it and a social impact study was under way in areas where alignment stones had been laid. The study will continue in the rest of the areas demarcated through geo-tagging, said Mr. Ajithkumar. The Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has been extending both ‘tied and untied’ loans, he said. The KRDCL is yet to take a decision on which loan to be taken. Normally, the interest rate of tied loans is relatively low – 0.1% to 0.2% – while that of untied loans … [Read more...] about Kerala determined to go ahead with SilverLine: KRDCL

New COVID-19 cases reported in Kerala stayed just short of the 4,000 mark for the second consecutive day on Thursday. A total of 3,981 new cases of COVID-19 were reported on the day when 22,896 samples were tested. The test positivity rate (TPR) on the day climbed from 16.97% of the previous day to 17.39%. The active case burden in the State is also rising and at present the number of active cases in the State stands at 25,969. Of the new cases reported on Thursday, Ernakulam reported 970, Thiruvananthapuram 880, Kottayam 438, Kollam 328, Kozhikode 259, Pathanamthitta 251, and Alappuzha 217 cases. 11 deaths A total of 11 COVID deaths were added to the official COVID-19 toll of the State. These include one death which occurred in the past 24 hours, six recent deaths and one death which entered the official figures on the basis of appeal. With this, the cumulative COVID-19 deaths in the State rose to 69,935. The State has reported 66,16,588 COVID-19 cases ever since the … [Read more...] about Kerala registers 3,981 COVID-19 cases

Kerala can create an investment-friendly ecosystem in a short span of time, although there are still miles to go, Industries Minister P. Rajeeve has said. Speaking to the media here on Wednesday, Mr. Rajeeve said the steps such as providing licence for ventures with investments of up to ₹50 crore in seven days, replacing outdated laws and outdated provisions in the rules, ‘Meet the Minister’ programmes at the district level to promote investment in key sectors and so on were apart of the government’s effort to make the State one of the best investor-friendly ones in the country. The State can attract a total of ₹11,800-crore investment proposals in less than a year through these initiatives. However, the State is yet to receive its due recognition in terms of its achievements in various sectors owing to various reasons, said Mr. Rajeeve, while mentioning the media’s tendency to go after sensationalism. Even the German carmaker Mercedes-Benz has to recall nearly one million … [Read more...] about Kerala can create investment-friendly ecosystem: Minister