India is a rich country culturally and geographically. The culture and civilization here make it an ideal country but the geographical position of India makes it richer than other countries. India is a geographically rich country. It has huge ancient hills and mountains and there is also a desert there. There are lush green forests and animals here and there is the beauty of rivers and lakes. But along with this, India is also a peninsula which is surrounded by huge, beautiful seas on all three sides. Adding to the beauty of India, these beaches have the power to fascinate anyone. Witness the beauty and vastness of India, these beaches provide a unique view with the waves crashing on the golden shining sand in front of the blue sea. The amazing view of the rising and setting sun from the beaches is seen only in India. The beaches of India are also the pride of India where lakhs of tourists come every year and get lost in the beauty of these beaches. These beaches of India present a dignified presentation of India. Top beaches of India India has a stunning coastline stretching over 7,000 km from south to west, bounded by the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean, and the Arabian Sea in the east. This amazing coastline boasts some spectacular natural beauty. These beaches give you a wonderful trip to explore the exhilarating sea world with its unique and beautiful flowers and creatures. Among the beaches in India, there are some that you must visit at least once in your life. Golden sand, crashing waves, lush green trees, and vast sea are waiting for you, so let us know about these beautiful beaches of India- Arambol Beach There are many beautiful and spectacular beaches in Goa and thousands of domestic and foreign tourists visit these beaches every day, but if you want to explore the offbeat beach in August, then you should reach Arambol Beach. Present in North Goa, it attracts a lot of tourists. Many programs also take place from time to time on the banks of this beautiful beach. Many people also come here to enjoy water sports. Nightlife here is also very colorful. Gokarna Every day thousands of domestic and foreign tourists come to visit South India. In such a situation, if you want to explore the South Indian offbeat coastline in August, then you should reach Gokarna. Gokarna of Karnataka is considered a famous destination for its beautiful and beautiful beaches. In Gokarna, you can explore Om Beach, Kudle Beach, Gokarna Beach, and Paradise Beach. You can also visit here with family, friends, and partners. Bangaram Beach Lakshadweep is a very beautiful and beautiful tourist center of the country. Lakshadweep is also considered very popular all over the world for its beautiful beaches. In such a situation, if you want to explore any offbeat beach of Lakshadweep, then you should reach Bangaram Beach. There is a crowd of tourists on the banks of Bangaram Beach during the day and it remains lively till night. It is said that as the evening approaches, the seawater appears blue. Here you can also enjoy water activities. Apart from Lakshadweep Bangaram Beach, you can also explore Agatti Island. Kovalam Beach Kovalam beach, located in Kerala, 40 kilometers away from Chennai, on the way to Mahabalipuram, is a village known as Kovelong. Kovalam Beach, running along the Malabar Coast, has a long stretch of white sandy beaches and is one of the most popular sea beaches in Kerala. Kovalam, located at a distance of 16 km from Thiruvananthapuram, actually has 3 beaches separated by a rocky landscape. Lighthouse Beach, Hawa Beach, and beaches make Kovalam the center of the sea coast. Ayurvedic massage centers, wooden raft rides, and shopping shops have also been built on this beach. The calm water here is considered ideal for swimming. The best time to visit here is considered to be from September to March. Varkala Located off the coast of Alleppey and Kovalam, Varkala is one of the premier beaches in India. An ideal spot for photography, the curved stretch of rock and the beauty of the sun will take your breath away. It is at a distance of 50 kilometers from Thiruvananthapuram and 37 kilometers from Kollam. Varkala is fast becoming a popular wellness center with its many Ayurvedic massage and therapy centers. With its help, you can also remove your fatigue of many days. Palolem beach If you are looking for dolphins, then the Palolem Beach of Goa is one of the best places in India where your dolphin-watching wish can be fulfilled. This beach is located in South Goa. It is 76 kilometers away from the capital Panaji. There are coconut trees on the banks of this beach which attract tourists from all over the world. Palolem Beach is located at a distance of 37 kilometers from Marama Goa. It is called a beach like heaven and it is about 1 mile long. At this place, white sand is spread in the shape of half half-moon. This most beautiful and picturesque beach of Goa, Palolem Beach is covered with a thick forest of coconut palms. Baga Beach Baga Beach is the most popular and usually crowded beach. Baga Beach is located in North Goa. It is 16 kilometers away from Panaji, the capital of Goa. People enjoy all kinds of water sports here parasailing and windsurfing, scuba diving, etc. Baga Beach attracts tourists with its brown sand and palm trees that come very close to the water's edge. Along with this, it is also a place for many people to enjoy the sun rays lying on the sand bed under the sun, this beach is considered to be an ideal beach for fishing, lying in the sun, and paddle boating. Not only this, Baga Beach is known for parties, nightlife, and seafood. It has good restaurants and hotels near it. This beach attracts tourists with its brown sand and palm trees. Alleppey Beach The shining sand and clear waters of Alleppey Beach make it one of the most prominent places to visit in Kerala. Alleppey Beach is very popular among nature lovers and tourists. The beautiful view of sunrise and sunset from here makes your journey memorable. You can spend memorable moments with your family and friends along the banks of Alleppey Beach. Many special places around Alleppey Beach make your travel experience even more pleasant. Marari Beach Marari Beach is counted among the most prominent beaches of Kerala. If you are fond of spending time amidst nature then Marari Beach is the ideal tourist destination for you. There is also a small village in between which attracts a lot of tourists coming here. Here you can understand the art, culture, and lifestyle of South India very well. The experience of watching sunrise and sunset from Marari Beach is very pleasant. Marari Beach Travelers and Nature Lovers. Here by the beach you can spend a memorable time with your family and friends. (PC: Lifeberrys)
Mixed response from Wayanad over Rahul Gandhis decision to contest Raebareli
Thiruvananthapuram, May 3: With Rahul Gandhi deciding to contest the Raebareli Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh also, there was a mixed response from people in Keralas Wayanad. Elections were held in Wayanad Lok Sabha seat on April 26. While some people said there was nothing wrong for him to contest Raebareli too, a few [] The post Mixed response from Wayanad over Rahul Gandhis decision to contest Raebareli appeared first on The Shillong Times .
Kerala CM Orders Closure Of Educational Institutions To Counter Impending Heatwave
As Kerala continues to reel under hot weather conditions, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday held a meeting to assess the possibilities of heat waves in the state and issued several instructions including the closure of educational institutions until May 6. In an online meeting of the State Disaster Management Authority that was attended by District Collectors, the CM also issued directions with regard to the monsoon season, according to an official statement. With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing a yellow alert for Alappuzha, Palakkad, Thrissur, and Kozhikode districts due to an anticipated heatwave, Vijayan urged residents to refrain from direct sunlight exposure between 11 am and 3 pm on Thursday and Friday. He directed that those working during these hours, like construction workers, farmers, hawkers, etc should adjust their work timings accordingly, holiday classes should be avoided between 11 am to 3 p.m., and daytime parades and drills should not be held at training centres of police, fire brigade and other forces, said the statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO). The CM said that educational institutions, including professional colleges, will remain closed until May 6. Additionally, he directed that audits should be carried out in areas prone to fires like markets, buildings, waste collection and storage facilities, hospitals, and major government institutions. Following instructions from the forest department to avoid forest fires, grazing cattle under the midday sun, and ensuring drinking water in tribal hamlets and habitations were the other directions issued in the meeting, according to the statement. According to the IMD, maximum temperatures are very likely to be around 40 degrees Celsius in Palakkad, around 39 degrees Celsius in Kollam, Thrissur, and Kozhikode, about 38 degrees Celsius in Alappuzha, Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, and Kannur, and around 37 degrees Celsius in the remaining districts of Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Malappuram, and Kasaragod from Thursday till May 6. With regard to the monsoon-related preparedness, the CM directed the holding of a meeting under the leadership of the collector in the presence of the minister in-charge of the district to discuss the matters to be done first as part of the pre-rains cleaning work, it said. Local self-government bodies should start pre-monsoon cleaning on an urgent basis in order to clear blockages in drains, culverts, and small canals before the onset of the rains, he directed. Not allowing garbage to pile up, ensuring mosquito control, preparing buildings to be used as relief camps, releasing excess water from rivers and canals into the ocean, and clearing obstructions from the regulators and spillways of dams were the other directions issued by Vijayan in the meeting, the CMO statement said. Besides that, he also ordered that trees, branches, hoardings and posts that may pose a danger to people should be removed before the rains. Hazard warnings should be displayed at tourist attractions and awareness created among the public living in hilly areas prone to landslides, he added.
Rahul Gandhi should have informed people of Wayanad: Annie Raja
Thiruvananthapuram: With Rahul Gandhi deciding to contest from the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituency also, his rival in the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, Annie Raja of the CPI, slammed him on Thursday, saying he should have revealed this earlier. Wayanad went to the polls on April 26 in the second phase of the Lok Sabha Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
Kerala: M Vincent slams police in bus row case
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kovalam MLA and Transport Democratic Federation president M Vincent has come down heavily on the police for not filing a case against Mayor Arya Rajendran as per KSRTC driver H L Yadhus complaint. Kerala: KSRTC driver to take legal route as police refuse to act on his complaint Talking to reporters on Thursday, Vincent said that the police are yet to file an FIR against Arya in the incident. He also warned that if the state government shies away from taking action against those cops who refused to file a case, he will be forced to take up the issue legally. Taking a jibe at the chief minister, Vincent said if its the CPM leaders who are the accused, then its the communist penal code and not the Indian Penal Code which rules the roost. He demanded to know if the mayor took the law into her hands as she doesnt believe in the police and the home department. The evidence has been tampered with as there are discrepancies in checklists. As per the checklist, it was Yadhu who took the bus back to the depot, when in fact, he was at the Cantonment police station then, he said.
Now, book a private train from Kerala
KOCHI: In a first, private trains will be available for tourists from Kerala to destinations such as Goa, Mumbai and Ayodhya. To begin with, the private train journey from the state to Goa will begin next month. The facility is being launched by SRMPR Global Railways, a Chennai-based tour operator, in partnership with the Kochi-based Princy World Travel Limited. An individual or a group of 600 passengers can book a private train journey to the three prominent destinations from Kerala, said officials. The inaugural journey is set to depart from Thiruvananthapuram on June 4 to Madgaon in Goa. The four-day tour package is available in three categories: 2-tier AC at Rs 16,400 per person, 3-tier AC at Rs 15,150 per person and non-AC sleeper at Rs 13,999. The package includes stay, food and sightseeing. Services like off-board travel and excursions by buses, stay at hotels, tour guides, meals and travel insurance are provided along with these train journeys and allied onboard services. Though the Indian Railways introduced the concept of private players operating tourist trains on theme-based circuits under the Bharat Gaurav Tourist Trains around a couple of years back, this is the first time that a private company is getting into this segment from Kerala. Earlier, such private train tours were launched from states such as Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. For instance, the government of Karnataka in association with IRCTC operates private trains to Kashi Prayag, Gaya and Ayodhya. Similarly, private trains are operated between Coimbatore and Shirdi. Plan to import private trains from Germany According to officials of Princy Tours, the trains are purchased by SRMPR from the Indian Railways to operate exclusively for tourism purposes. From Kerala, there are mainly three tour packages Thiruvananthapuram to Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram to Goa (four-day package) and Thiruvananthapuram to Ayodhya (eight-day package), said Devika Menon, director of Princy World Travel Ltd. Plans are on to operate around 12 trains from Kerala. Once the initial three routes gain maximum traction, new routes will be introduced, she said. This train is being introduced on a trial basis.The SRMPR group will import special trains from Germany to run them privately. Hopefully, the trains will arrive by this year's end, she said. The trains have limited stops and only those who have booked the tickets can enter the train. A total of 60 staff, including the paramedical team and pantry are available onboard, said Devika Menon. The train is equipped with CCTV cameras and WiFi. As per the initial plan, the tourist train will operate to the specific destinations with a weeks gap. We have received the slots to operate from June to September. The dates for Mumbai and Ayodhya will be released soon, she said. The trains will have boarding from Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod from Kerala.
CPI expect to win three LS seats in Kerala
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPI is optimistic of winning three out of the four seats it has contested in the Lok Sabha elections, according to the preliminary parliament election review of the partys state executive. The meeting held on Thursday evaluated that the party candidates would win in Thiruvananthapuram, Mavelikkara and Thrissur. In Wayanad, CPI calculates that it could lower the majority by half compared to the 2019 election when Rahul Gandhi won by a huge margin. In the capital, the party expects to win by a margin of 20,000 votes over their nearest rival. The state executive has asked the district councils to submit election review reports before May 10. There was criticism against the meeting of senior CPM leader E P Jayarajan with middleman T G Nandakumar. Some members raised anguish over EPs remarks on the day of polling as it might have affected the prospects of LDF. However, CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam asked the members to keep restraint as the subject is related to CPM. CPM is evaluating the situation. Let them come to an understanding first, the secretary reportedly said.
Kerala: Sreedhanya IAS registers Special Marriage at home
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: IAS officer Sreedhanya Suresh has set a model for those who wish to have a marriage registered at home under the Special Marriage Act. The Registration Department IG tied the nuptial knot with her long-time friend Gayak R Chand at a simple function held at her residence in Kumarapuram. Sreedhanya, who is from Wayanad, is the states first IAS officer from the tribal community. The ceremony was confined to the registration of marriage and the cutting of a cake. Registration Minister Kadannappally Ramachandran was the witness to the ceremony attended by both families. Our decision was to get married in a simple ceremony. We did exactly that, Sreedhanya told TNIE . Gayak, a Kollam resident, is a high court assistant. According to reports, the duo met while studying at a civil services coaching centre at Mannanthala in the state capital. Sreedhanya told reporters that she wanted to make use of the services provided by the registration department. As per the Special Marriage Act, anybody who pays Rs 1,000 can marry from home without visiting the registrars office. The officials will come home and complete the marriage registration formalities.
Thampuran Kunnile.. wins Bala Sahitya Award
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: M Venukumars Thampuran Kunnile Cinema Visheshangal has been chosen for Pala K M Mathew Bala Sahitya Award. The best childrens novel for the year 2022 was published by Kerala State Institute of Childrens Literature. The award will be presented by Lok Ayukta Justice Cyriac Joseph on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Pala K M Mathew at the Kottayam Public Library mini auditorium at 4pm on January 11. Certificate of appreciation along with a cash award will be presented. The jury remarked the novel is ideal for children to know and understand the different aspects of movies and filmmaking. Following the event, orator V K Suresh Babu will address the audience on the topic Growing Generation, Receding Culture. Foundation chairman George Abraham will preside over the function. MLAs Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan and Chandy Oommen, Suresh Kurup, K C Joseph, G Raman Nair, Kurian Joy, Sukumaran Mulekkattu and Somu Mathew will attend the meeting.
Kerala: Man ends life after Congress-run bank fails to return deposit
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : A 52-year-old Neyyattinkara resident died by suicide on Thursday after the Congress-helmed Perumpazhuthoor Service Co-operative Bank allegedly delayed release of deposits he had saved for his daughters marriage. Somasagaram Y consumed pesticide on April 19, and was undergoing treatment at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital. The Marayamuttom police have registered a case of unnatural death. An officer said Somasagaram had deposited his earnings from plantain cultivation and masonry work totalling Rs 5 lakh in the bank, and planned to use the savings to get his daughter Sumi married and renovate his house, which was in a dilapidated state. His father Yesudas said his Somasagaram had been seeking to withdraw the deposit for the past six months. However, the officials allegedly kept declining his requests. The bank administration killed my son.He had saved every single rupee earned from agriculture and masonry work for his daughters marriage. He also wanted to renovate the house, as the roof could come down crashing any moment. He visited the bank multiple times on the dates they had given. But, they did not dispense the cash, and sent him back on one pretext or the other, said Yesudas. Banks version The bank officials said they had released about Rs 1 lakh, in bits on various occasions, and claimed that they did not know that Somasagaram was so hard-pressed. He always spoke calmly, so we did not realise the urgency. We release funds based on urgency of the depositors. Somasagaram had told us that he needed cash to renovate his house, but we did not know he was on verge of suicide, said bank secretary (in-charge) Jaya Kumari.
Two die of heatstroke; Kerala gears up to meet the challenge
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM/KOZHIKODE: On a day two suspected heatstroke deaths were reported in Malappuram and Kozhikode, the state government swung into action on Thursday rolling out a series of measures to cope with the prevailing heatwave conditions. A high-level meeting of the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan decided to declare holiday for educational institutions, including professional colleges, till May 6. Meanwhile, a high level meeting attended by power minister K Krishnankutty and KSEB management decided not to go for load shedding in spite of the power crisis. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued heatwave alerts in Alappuzha, Palakkad, Thrissur and Kozhikode for Friday. It also issued a warm night warning in Alappuzha. Palakkad is likely to record a maximum temperature of 40 degree Celsius, Thrissur, Kollam and Kozhikode 39, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Pathanamthitta and Kannur 38, Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Malappuram and Kasaragod 37, on Friday. Palakkad remained the warmest district with a maximum temperature of 40.4 degree Celsius on Thursday. Kozhikode city reported 39, which is 4.6 degree Celsius above the normal. Muhammad Haneefa, 63, a resident of Padinhattummuri in Malappuram, passed away while undergoing treatment for heatstroke at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital on Thursday. He collapsed while working in a field near Tamarakuzhi on Wednesday. Preliminary assessment indicates dehydration to be the cause of hisdeath. Bijesh, a 41-year-old painter from Chakkumkadavu in Panniyankara, Kozhikode died of suspected heatstroke at his work site on Thursday. Feeling the heat Holiday for educational institutions, including professional colleges, till May 6 IMD issues heatwave alerts in Alappuzha, Palakkad, Thrissur and Kozhikode for Friday Warm night warning issued in Alappuzha CM calls for adjusting working hours to avoid direct sun In a statement issued the review meeting in Thiruvananthapuram, the chief minister called for adjusting the working hours for construction workers, farmers, street vendors, fishermen and other labourers so as avoid the sun between 11 am and 3 pm. The meeting has also directed to adjust the working hours at workplaces with asbestos, tin roofs and other heat-intensive environments. The meeting also decided to reschedule the parade and training sessions of police, fire brigade, NCC, SPC and other armed forces units accordingly. The fire department has been directed to carry out fire audits in vulnerable areas like markets, high rise buildings and waste management facilities. The meeting also decided to relocate people and migrant labourers residing in areas prone to heatwaves to safer locations or camps. All the cultural and sports events should be rescheduled to avoid direct sunlight. To protect animals during the heatwave, instructions have been given to provide water and shelter. Hospital and major government institutions have been asked to adhere to necessary disaster preparedness protocols. Pet care To protect animals during the heatwave, instructions have been given to provide water and shelter.
Kerala: Police ignore bus drivers complaint against mayor
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Giving yet another twist to the road rage controversy, the Thiruvanannthapuram city police on Thursday refused to initiate action on the complaint lodged by the KSRTC driver against Mayor Arya Rajendran and her husband K M Sachin Dev, MLA, for allegedly obstructing his duty, resulting in the cancellation of the trip. However, the Kerala State Human Rights Commission (KSHRC) has registered a case based on the complaint by driver B L Yadhu. Kerala: KSRTC driver to take legal route as police refuse to act on his complaint Meanwhile, Kovalam MLA and Transport Democratic Federation president M Vincent warned that he would move the court of law if the state government shied away from initiating action against those police officials who refused to act on Yadhus complaint. The memory card of the CCTV cameras installed on the bus went missing the other day adding a new dimension to the entire episode. The loss was detected by KSRTC officials. Following a complaint by the Transport Officer, Thampanoor police have launched a probe and started collecting details of the KSRTC officials who had access to the bus after the incident. The memory card possibly had visuals captured by three cameras installed on the bus - one each on the dashboard, rear side and behind the drivers cabin facing the passengers. The camera footage could have revealed whether there was a race between the bus and the car and if anyone had forcefully evicted the passengers, as Yadhu alleged. However, the cameras were not positioned to record the lewd gesture allegedly made by the driver, which Arya claimed was the main cause of the incident. Panel seeks reports from police, KSRTC City Police Commissioner C Nagaraju said the bus had operated a Thrissur trip after the incident. We have to get the statements of the staff who operated the trip. We will also prepare a list of those who work in the Thampanoor depot and have access to the bus. Their statements will also be recorded, he said. A police source said Yadhu filed the petition against the mayor and the MLA as a counter to Aryas complaint. Its his normal defensive mechanism when in trouble. He had employed the same strategy on at least two occasions in the past once when he was accused of committing serious offence against a woman and the other against a differently abled man. In both cases, the victims withdrew their complaint after Yadhu filed counter-petitions. He is resorting to the same tactics here, the source said. The KSHRC has sought reports from the police and the KSRTC on the action taken on Yadhus complaint. It has posted the case for hearing on May 9. Meanwhile, the City Cyber police have registered two cases for alleged cyber attacks on the mayor. Satheesan alleges conspiracy behind missing memory card from bus Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan has alleged a political conspiracy behind the missing memory cards from the CCTV cameras fixed inside the KSRTC bus that was waylaid by Mayor Arya Rajendran. He has also demanded the police register a case against the mayor and her relatives for stopping the bus from plying and urging passengers to leave. Satheesan alleged that Arya and her husband, Balussery MLA Sachin Dev, deliberately removed the memory card to escape the wrath of the people or else their claims would sound hollow.
Kerala government to increase Plus-I seats
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The cabinet has decided to allow more batches in government and aided schools in different districts to address the shortage of Plus-I seats. As per the decision, seats will be increased by 30% at government schools in seven districts -- Thiruvananthapuram, Palakkad, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod. The cabinet has also decided to bring in a 20% increase in Plus-I seats in aided schools in these districts. In addition, a 10% increase in seats will be allowed at aided schools that demand more batches. The marginal increase in new batches will be made without creating an additional financial burden for the government. It is learned that sanction would also be given for a 20% increase in seats at all government and aided schools in Kollam, Ernakulam and Thrissur districts, in addition to Ambalappuzha and Cherhala taluks in Alappuzha district. There will be no increase in Plus-I seats in Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Idukki districts. The 77 higher secondary batches sanctioned on a temporary basis in 2022-23 and the 97 temporary batches in 2023-24 will continue, subject to clearance from the finance department. Sanctioning 178 additional batches would give the government a financial burden to the tune of about Rs 19 crore.
Kerala: Congress revives Sahithi Theatres as part of its efforts to boost social connect
KOCHI: As part of its strategy to get more involved in the field of the arts and culture, the Congress has revived its drama troupe Sahithi Theatres. To kick off, the drama troupe staged Vaikom Muhammed Basheers satirical short story 'Mucheetukalikkarante Makal' (The Card Sharpers Daughter) at Pastoral Orientation Centre in Kochi on Wednesday, with AICC general secretary K C Venugopal and KPCC interim president M M Hassan among the audience. Karunagappally MLA C R Mahesh, who is in charge of the troupe, said he decision to revive the partys arts and cultural activities was made at the Congress Chintan Shivir (brainstorming meet) in Kozhikode in 2022. At the meeting, we decided to become more involved in the field of art, culture, and charity.Revival of Sahithi Theatres was one of the initial decisions. As I have a background in the arts, I was picked to lead the troupe, said Mahesh, whose father C A Rajashekharan and brother C R Manoj were playwrights. Sahithi Theatres was initially launched in Thiruvananthapuram when Ramesh Chennithala was the KPCC president. However, the troupe became inactive after three or four plays. The comeback play was written by Hemanth Kumar, and directed by Rajesh Irulam. Preparations and practice took nearly 50 days, said Mahesh, adding that the audience response was great. There are six characters in the play. We have used the latest and modern technologies, including AI, to provide the best experience to the viewers. Besides Mahesh, the cast included Rajeev Alunkal, Anil Mala, Vakkom Maahin, Aadinad Sasi, and V R Prathapan. While inaugurating the play, Venugopal stressed on the need to make the cultural sphere more vibrant and vocal. Artists and writers hesitate to speak out because they are frightened in this fascist era. Everyone is silent. Perhaps the only bold response in recent times was that of M T Vasudevan Nair, he said. A lookback Sahithi Theatres was initially launched in Thiruvananthapuram when Ramesh Chennithala was the KPCC president. However, the troupe became inactive after three or four plays. the decision to revive the partys arts and cultural activities was made at the Congress Chintan Shivir (brainstorming meet) in Kozhikode in 2022. The comeback play was written by Hemanth Kumar, and directed by Rajesh Irulam.
Kerala: Cracks in Akkulam glass bridge spark adventure tourism safety concerns
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Barely two months after the Varkala floating bridge accident, the glass bridge ready to be opened at Akkulam Tourist Village has developed cracks, raising serious concern over the quality and safety standards of the adventure tourism infrastructure in the state. The inauguration of the glass bridge slated for March was postponed following the floating bridge accident on March 9. Fifteen people fell into the sea after the 100-metre-long floating bridge collapsed due to rough waves. Now, cracks have appeared on the 52-metre glass bridge at Akkulam, which is touted by the tourism department as a key adventure infrastructure. The bridge is constructed at a height of 75ft. The adventure tourism activities at the Akkulam Tourist Village are jointly implemented by Vattiyoorkavu Youth Brigade Entrepreneurs Cooperative Society (VYBeCOS) and the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC). VYBeCOS alleged that the cracks in the glass bridge occurred due to suspected vandalism, and it has lodged a complaint with the Sreekaryam police. Crack on glass bridge: Call for probe to find out real cause of damage Following the incident, the agencies and departments involved in the project are scrambling for answers and indirectly blaming each another. Officials of VYBeCOS claimed that the glass bridge is intact and not broken as claimed by reports. The glass panels used for the construction of the bridge are of the highest quality and they meet the global standards, said Ratheesh C S, president of VYBECoS. We found some scratches in a portion of one of the glass panels of the bridge due to a suspected act of vandalism, he said. However, the officials in charge of the Village have ruled out the possibility of vandalism as it is a highly secured zone. Its impossible for somebody to sneak in and cause destruction, said an official at the Akkulam Tourist Village. Glass Bridge at Akkulam village gets safety clearance from NITC According to VYBECoS, the construction of the glass bridge started only after getting approval from the panel of engineers from the Public Works Department (PWD), constituted by the DTPC. The projects plan was vetted and approved by qualified structural engineers from the College of Engineering Trivandrum (CET). The entire construction was done under the monitoring of the Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society, said Ratheesh. Former tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran said the matter should be thoroughly investigated. An investigation should be conducted to find out the real cause of the damage. Also, it is high time we strengthened the Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society. There should be stringent monitoring from the part of an expert panel under the society on all the adventure infrastructures. Safety and security of the visitors should be given utmost priority, Kadakampally said. The effort to set up the Adventure Tourism Academy is also getting delayed inordinately. If we look at adventure tourism as a key product, the department should execute the academy project and strengthen KAPTS, he added. Meanwhile, Sreekaryam police said they are looking into the complaint. Recently, the glass bridge got the safety clearance from NIT, Kozhikode. According to tourism authorities, the final report from NIT is awaited.
Nixing Ernakulam Jn from Venad Express halt list sees other trains get punctual
KOCHI: May 1, 2024, proved to be an emotional day for scores of passengers who had been travelling to Ernakulam Junction railway station onboard 16302 Thiruvananthapuram - Shornur Venad Express. That was the first day in a long time when Venad Express didnt come chugging into the station. Nor did the platforms see a flurry of hasty steps of office-goers rushing towards the exit to catch the autorickshaw in a last-minute dash to reach their places of employment before the punching deadline. Even as those, for whom Ernakulam Junction railway station has been the main thoroughfare for years felt sad and angry, others who travelled beyond were a happy lot. The removal of Ernakulam Junction station from the list of halts of Thiruvananthapuram-Shornur Venad Express from May 1 although a temporary move, according to officials has elicited a mixed response from passengers. Even though those travelling to places beyond Ernakulam welcome the decision, regular commuters who work in the government and private sectors, Kochi corporation, etc., have raised objections. The move comes after demand was raised by various passenger associations in the state. Speaking about the amount of time that could be saved if Venad skips Ernakulam Junction, Paul Manvettom, president of the All Kerala Railway Users Association (AKRUA), said, This has been a long-standing demand of passengers. A delay of 30 or more minutes every day is not desirable in this day and age when time is precious. Passenger associations, including mine, had petitioned the railway board and ministry with the demand. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the train made the right time at Ernakulam Town enabling all the other trains coming right after it keep their dates with the corresponding stations. For the first time in years, I was able to reach Ernakulam Town railway station at 10:40 am, says Tibin Kuriakose who commutes in Nagercoil-Mangaluru Parasuram Express. Before the halt was removed, those travelling in Parasuram Express had to suffer long halts at Tripunithura followed by another 10 to 15-minute stop at the outer of Ernakulam Town station, he adds. But since yesterday, it was bliss. No halt overs and no delay, says Tibin. A lot of the issues faced by Ernakulam Junction station can be resolved once this happens. However, we have demanded that to ease office rush and cater to the needs of people who disembark at Ernakulam Junction, a MEMU service from Kayamkulam or Kollam via Kottayam be run at around 7:55am, said Paul. It is a time slot that falls between Palaruvi and Venad Express trains. Echoing the view, Sreekumar V, a passenger who depends on Venad to get to Thrissur, said, Why waste 30 or more minutes? Just because this train gets held up, all other services that follow also get affected. It has a domino effect. I once happened to travel by Parasuram Express. The train was stopped at a place which resembled a no mans land. After more than 15 minutes here, the long-distance train was held over again, this time in the outer area of Ernakulam Town station, all for Venad Express. However, Liyons J, secretary of Friends on Rails, said, To take away the Ernakulam Junction halt of Venad Express, citing the arrival of Kochi Metro service to Tripunithura, is not justified. Metro is no substitute. We have expressed our strong protest on this matter. Those who oppose the move say Venad is an office-timing train from Thiruvananthapuram to Ernakulam Junction. If the junction is skipped without providing an alternative, it would become a problem for hundreds of commuters, said Sindhu R, a state government employee whose office in located near Maharajas College. They also point to severe traffic congestion on the Kottayam to Ernakulam route. If Ernakulam Junction is avoided, it will be a disservice to passengers. If Venad departs from Tripunithura at 9.20 am, it can reach Junction station at 9.40am. Anyway, Venad usually reaches the station before 10am. But if a person gets down at Tripunithura at 9.20am, it will take them at least 15 minutes to reach a metro station. The metro service runs at seven-minute intervals. From there it takes 20 minutes to reach the Junction. Taking into account the time taken to get out of the station, it is not so easy for a person alighting at Tripunithura to reach their offices on time. Also, a metro ticket between the two destinations costs Rs 30. The average person cannot afford this, Liyons added. The critical voices, however, said the new arrangement will work if a MEMU service from Tripunithura is started to coincide with the time Venad arrives there. Not the first time In 2019, railways planned to change the route of Venad Express, which would have seen it skip Ernakulam South station. It was then decided to nix the stop after the train switched to Linke Hoffman Busch (LHB) rakes. Unlike the old rakes, LHB coaches receive power from the engine. So electrical parts have to be disconnected before the engine is replaced. Then after reconnecting, the entire mechanism has to be inspected before the train can be allowed to proceed. This takes around 40 minutes. This is not the first time that Junction stop has been distanced from Venad. The train had run for around one-and-half years skipping the station, before it was reinstated following continuous representations by passengers and peoples representatives.
Kerala to launch digital course to foster responsible waste management
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Aiming to foster environmental consciousness and to promote sustainable and responsible waste management practices, the state government is launching a first-of-its-kind digital course on waste management. The Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) titled 'Solid Waste Management Systems in Kerala' will provide valuable insights into sustainable waste management practices, law enforcement, green protocol, and waste management technologies for households and communities. The course targets students, volunteers, residents associations, NGOs and traders. Designed by the Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA), the course will officially go live on May 6 and is expected to spread awareness about the new waste management-related amendments to the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act, 1994, and the Kerala Municipality Act, 1994. Besides, the digital course is expected to create awareness about the purpose of the Malinya Muktham Nava Keralam campaign spearheaded by the local self-government department (LSGD) to make the state garbage-free. Public participation is key to making the state garbage-free. Ever since the launch of the Malinya Muktham Nava Keralam campaign, many programmes and activities have been taken up. Awareness and participation are important to achieve our objectives. We decided to come up with such a course as behavioural changes are imperative. The public can attend the course at their convenience, a Suchitwa Mission official told TNIE . The course comprises self-study materials and recorded sessions in Malayalam. Scheduled to be completed in one month, the course is five to six hours long.The course comprises six sessions. After each session, those attending will have to clear a quiz to proceed to the other sessions, said a KILA official. The course features visual demonstrations, powerpoint presentations and sessions by experts. We have included only the basics, and if the feedback and response are good, we will upgrade and make the course more advanced, the official added. Those completing the course will be given a badge and a certificate. Topics under solid waste management course Waste management system overview decentralised waste management, operations of various agencies and service providers Activities under the Malinya Muktham Nava Keralam campaign Household and community level biowaste management systems aerobin composting, bio composter, ring compost, organic compost and more Segregating non-biowaste the importance of segregation and handing it over to Haritha Karma Sena Processing of special waste sanitary waste, construction and demolition waste, hazardous waste Offences as per the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act, Municipality Act amendments Different categories of singleuse plastic items that are banned Green protocol waste reduction strategies
THRISSUR: 'Poacher', the miniseries streaming on Amazon Prime Video, has been receiving widespread applause since its release in February this year. The series based on elephant poaching, grabbed movie buffs attention for its storyline, visuals and cast. As the story is set in Kerala, Malayali actors also starred in the series, making it an instant hit in the southern state. Thiruvananthapuram native Ankith Madhav, who played the role of Vijay Babu, the lazy forest officer who later becomes an inevitable character as the story moves ahead, has been on cloud nine ever since the release of the series. Through his appearances in numerous advertisements, including sharing the screen with M S Dhoni, Ankith is now a pan-Indian face. Born and brought up in Kerala, Ankith carried his dream to be an actor since childhood. However, surrendering to societal and familial pressures, he pursued engineering and moved to Mumbai for a job. Practising in front of a mirror and challenging my own limitations helped me overcome my fear of cameras. Now, the camera is my best friend. As I lacked a godfather in the industry, I had to struggle a lot to prove myself. I was so obsessed with acting that I kept attending auditions and acted in ad films. It helped build professionalism in me, he shared. Before immersing into the field of cinema, Ankith pursued an acting course at Brian Timony Acting School in London. Though he made his debut through the Malayalam film 'Solo', it was the role in Madhavan-starrer 'Rocketry: The Nambi Effect' that garnered him a mark as an actor. Later, the role of Yogesh Yadav in Mammootty-starrer 'Kannur Squad' ensured a place for Ankith in the hearts of Malayalis. However, the character of Vijay in 'Poacher' stood entirely different. Acting in 'Poacher' was a learning lesson for me. I was initially auditioned for a short character named Babu. But later, Richie Mehta, the director of the show, decided to give me a big role, he said. With earning more attention for his roles, Ankith is all set to move on to the next projects, determined to keep the pace up.
Heatwave Condition Aggravates: Kerala Educational Institutions to Remain Closed till May 6
Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government on Thursday issued a set of guidelines in the wake of sweltering heat wave conditions in the state. All educational institutions including professional colleges will remain closed till Monday. While most schools are closed for summer vacation, many institutions have organised summer camps and special classes. They have been asked to avoid the camps and special classes between 11 am and 3 pm. Daytime parades and drills should be avoided at training centres of police, fire brigade, other forces, NCC, Student Police Cadets etc. Workplaces with asbestos and tin sheets as roofs should be closed during the day. Arrangements should be made to shift people, including guest workers, living in houses with such rooftops to the camps. The government has directed to conduct fire audits in fire-prone areas such as markets, buildings, waste collection and investment centres and safety precautions should be taken. The fire audit of hospitals and major government institutions should be done immediately as per the norms issued by the State Disaster Management Authority. The instructions of the forest department should be strictly followed to avoid situations where there may be forest fires. Art and sports competitions/events should not be held from 11 am to 3 pm. These decisions were taken at a meeting of the Disaster Management Authority held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to assess the situation arising out of the heat wave conditions in the state. The district collectors briefed the meeting about the steps that are being taken to deal with the situation. To avoid direct exposure to sunlight between 11 am and 3 pm, construction workers, agricultural labourers, street vendors, fishermen and those engaged in other hard work have been asked to reschedule their working hours accordingly. Ministers, top officials, including Chief Secretary Dr Venu V and Disaster Management Authority Member Secretary Sekhar Kuriakose, attended the meeting held online.
Kerala HRC Orders Probe into Bus Driver's Complaint Against Thiruvananthapuram Mayor
Kerala HRC Orders Probe into Bus Driver's Complaint Against Thiruvananthapuram Mayor The Kerala Human Rights Commission (HRC) on Thursday ordered a probe into a complaint by the driver of the KSRTC bus who had been accused by city Mayor Arya Rajendran of making sexually suggestive gestures towards her and her sister-in-law a few days ago. Acting Chairperson of the Commission and Judicial Member K Baijunath directed the Thiruvananthapuram City Police Commissioner and the Managing Director of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) to conduct an investigation and submit a report within a week. The complainant driver, L H Yedu, had alleged that Mayor Rajendran and her family members prevented him from discharging his duty on April 27 by blocking the bus with their private vehicle. He also alleged that the SHO of Cantonment police station took no action when a complaint in this regard was lodged by him. In his complaint against Rajendran, her MLA husband and three others, the driver had alleged that they disrupted the bus journey, shouted obscenities against him and tried to make the passengers deboard the bus. The driver also sought that the Cantonment SHO be removed from the investigation and the probe be carried out by another agency. Last Saturday night, the mayor and her family had got into a heated argument with the KSRTC bus driver after allegedly blocking the vehicle at Palayam junction. Rajendran claimed the KSRTC bus was not blocked, but CCTV visuals aired by news channels showed her private car parked across the zebra line on the road. She had said that she spoke to the driver while the bus was stopped at the red signal area to raise her protest against his alleged sexually suggestive gestures towards her and her sister-in-law. The driver, who was booked in connection with the incident, has refuted the allegations.
Private firms to organise train tours from Kerala to Goa, Mumbai, Ayodhya
Chennai-based firm that has taken trains on lease from Indian Railways will launch service on June 4 with a four-day package from Thiruvananthapuram to Goa
Educational institutions across the state to remain closed till May 6 due to extreme heatwave
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In view of the ongoing heat wave situation in Kerala, a high-level meeting of the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority, chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, has decided to grant holidays for professional colleges and other educational institutions until May 6. The meeting, attended by district collectors, assessed the situation in each district. It was also decided in the meeting to reschedule parades and training sessions for police, fire brigade, NCC, SPC, and other military units to avoid peak sunlight hours between 11 am and 3 pm. Following the review meeting, a release issued by the Chief Minister urged adjustments to the working hours for construction workers, farmers, street vendors, fishermen, and other laborers between 11 am and 3 pm. Additionally, workplaces with asbestos, tin roofs, and other heat-intensive environments were directed to adjust their working hours. The fire department was instructed to conduct fire audits in areas vulnerable to fire, such as markets, high-rise buildings, and waste management facilities. Furthermore, it was decided to plant more tree saplings on World Environment Day, observed on June 5. Ministers responsible for respective districts were directed to chair meetings and assess the status of pre-monsoon sanitation drives. The high-level meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Venu V and member secretary of KSDMA, Shekar Kuriakose.
'400 paar' a joke, '300 paar' impossible, '200 paar' a challenge for BJP: Shashi Tharoor
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor ridicules BJP's '400 paar' claim, suggesting it's a joke and even '200 paar' may be a challenge. Tharoor expresses confidence in a comfortable win in Thiruvananthapuram and predicts BJP's poor performance in the South. He questions BJP's messaging strategy for the elections, highlighting challenges in various states.
INTERVIEW | '400 paar' a joke, '300 paar' impossible, '200 paar' challenge for BJP: Tharoor
NEW DELHI: The BJP's claim of '400 paar' is a joke, '300 paar' impossible and even '200 paar' may be a challenge in the Lok Sabha polls, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has said, terming the ruling party's loss a foregone conclusion. In an interaction with PTI editors at the agency's headquarters here, Tharoor also claimed the BJP will draw a blank in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, and will do worse than its 2019 performance in the South. Tharoor, who was locked in a three-way contest with Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar of the BJP and P Raveendran of the CPI in Thiruvananthapuram where polling took place on April 26, said he is looking at a very comfortable win. If he emerges victorious, it will be a fourth consecutive win for the author-politician from Thiruvananthapuram, who is the longest-serving MP from the constituency. Back in Delhi after a nearly two month high voltage campaign in Thiruvananthapuram, the Congress Working Committee member will now canvass in other parts of the country, being a sought after campaigner due to his oratory skills and celebrity status. Asked how it was looking for the Congress and the INDIA bloc after two phases of the polls, the former Union minister said, 190 seats have voted so far and what I am picking up from my sources, it is tremendously positive for our side. We are not suggesting that there is an overwhelming wave but there certainly isn't one for the government. INTERVIEW| Claim of BJP's 'exemplary' performance in South in LS polls product of its propaganda mill: Tharoor In fact, many who have been following elections for some time say that the difference between this election and the ones in 2014 and 2019 is that the predominant emotion of the BJP voters appears to be indifference and lack of enthusiasm, Tharoor said during the freewheeling interaction. In his view, Congress members are feeling cautiously optimistic about many places in Hindi-speaking states that have voted so far. So, I would say that on balance, we are far more ahead than we would have expected at this time. Of course, there are five more phases to go in this unnecessarily protracted election, Tharoor said. Asked how many seats the Congress and the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) would get in the polls, Tharoor said in a lighter vein that he does not predict scores even as a cricket fan but only predicts victories. I would say that right now it looks increasingly likely that the BJP-NDA government will lose its majority. The BJP losing its majority seems to be a foregone conclusion, Tharoor said. In six states, he pointed out, the BJP won every seat, while in three states, it won all but one seat, and in two states, it won all but two seats. This, he said, is simply not replicable. In Haryana, the Congress won no seats and the (opinion) polls are indicating five-seven seats for us this time. In Karnataka, we won one seat and this time polls are ranging from 10-17, some are even saying 20, he said. In all the states that the BJP did so well, they are losing some seats even in a conservative analysis, he said. This 400 paar is a joke, 300 paar is impossible and (even) 200 paar may be a challenge for them (BJP) to get the way things are going. In Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, the BJP will get zero seats, he claimed. In Telangana, they got a handful of seats and would struggle to hold on to those, Tharoor said and added that the BJP would not be able to replicate its good show in Karnataka. In 2019, the BJP won 25 out of 28 seats in Karnataka. In Telangana, it bagged four of 17 seats. According to Tharoor, there is absolutely no doubt that the BJP is going to do worse than last time in the South. In the North, as I said, they did so well last time and it is impossible to replicate that. Both in the North and South they are coming down from where they were. How well we do and how well the INDIA bloc parties do is yet to be seen because after all 353 seats are yet to vote so there is still a big majority of the election yet to happen, he said. But all indications are that this is really an uphill struggle for the BJP and things are not going the government's way, he added. I ask objectively, as an Indian citizen, why should a young man who voted for the BJP in 2014 because he was promised a job, still vote for the BJP 10 years later when he still does not have a job, Tharoor said. When all the economists are saying 80 per cent of India's population have seen a decline in its income in the last 10 years, why should these 80 per cent want to vote for the BJP that has put them in that predicament, Tharoor argued. He said that in 2014, the BJP ran on economics, but it was a disastrous government economically, and in 2019 it ran on national security with Pulwama and Balakot being the predominant theme across northern India. They (BJP) can't run on economy this time because they mishandled the economy and people don't have jobs and can't buy in the market what they could a few years ago. They can't run on national security because everyone knows that China has been nibbling away at our frontier and there are 26 out of 65 patrolling points that both armies used to patrol, which the Indian army no longer has access to now, and that is on Mr (Narendra) Modi's watch so how is he going to beat his chest about national security, he said. That leaves what the 'Hindu Hriday Samrat' message, Ram mandir, the kind of inflammatory language we have been seeing and hearing from the PM and others, fear mongering about one community and attempting to polarise the election on religion. That tactic has really been overused in the country and those voting along those lines are already voting for the BJP it no longer appeals to neutral voters, Tharoor said. He questioned the Election Commission for having the electoral process extend from March 16, when the schedule was announced, to counting day on June 4 and said it is frankly preposterous. It does not make any sense. I think somebody must explain. It is not as if there has been an increase in violence in the country. It is very surprising that the Election Commission should organise itself in this way, Tharoor said, adding that many states could have had a single-phase election. We could have done and dusted this election much quicker, especially at a time when our PM is speaking about 'one nation, one election'. Does it make sense to show that it takes us so long to conduct an election for one Sabha and that too after we have had so much experience conducting elections, the 68-year-old leader said.
Tharoor Expects 'Very Comfortable Win' in Thiruvananthapuram
Tharoor Expects 'Very Comfortable Win' in Thiruvananthapuram Looking at very comfortable win: Shashi Tharoor on his LS poll contest in Thiruvananthapuram.
Thiruvananthapuram Mayor finds herself in a spot following a road rage incident
Grainy traffic camera footage broadcast by television channels showed Arya Rajendran and her husband Sachin Dev heading off a KSRTC bus with their car and questioning KSRTC bus driver for unruly road behaviour
Why Thiruvananthapuram Is Seeing A Surge In Lotus Cultivation
The initiative was taken with the cooperation of the State government of Kerala.
Mayor-KSRTC driver tiff: Crucial memory card missing, say Kerala Police
Mayor-KSRTC driver tiff: Crucial memory card missing, say Kerala Police Thiruvananthapuram: The police said on Wednesday that the memory card of the CCTV inside the KSRTC bus has gone missing, the driver of which was involved in an altercation with the city mayor Arya Rajendran, her husband Sachin Dev, a CPI(M) MLA, and other [] The post Mayor-KSRTC driver tiff: Crucial memory card missing, say Kerala Police appeared first on Mangalorean.com .
KOCHI: Little Jayasree woke up to a nagging cry from the backyard of her house where she found her anxious family crowding around the cow in their pen that was due to give birth. The girl was a bit startled at first but her mother assured her all would be fine. There will soon be a Nandini for you to play with, she told her. From then on, Nandini was her playmate. She watched her being bathed and fed and even braved herself to caress and cuddle her. This childhood nostalgia led her to keep a small enclosure in the backyard of her house where she reared two cows. This, she did alongside her job as a teacher. I get enough milk for my family. However, after watching me deal with the cows, many prompted me to go for it as a full-time profession. But that would mean a whole lot of paperwork and then the tussle to get licences, feed, insurance... The list is endless. I am now happy with my small farm, she says, probably after observing the ventures that had to be wound up or curtailed due to the state of affairs. One such venture that was big 10 years ago was the farm run by a former KSRTC employee Vikraman Nair in Angamaly. He had begun it as a supplementary income source, with pension and other perks coming in fits and starts. The venture was doing fine till Covid. We had to wind it up after that because of our inability to keep it going. Government support comes but in trickles. That is not enough to keep the farms running with the high cost of feed (a 50kg KS Supreme cattle feed costs Rs1,500). With insurance norms not being farmer-friendly, and milk prices not rising at par with the expenses when you employ manpower, we had to stop the dream run of our farm. So we now only have two cows just to suffice us and our small supply of curd, says Anisha Soman, Vikraman Nairs daughter-in-law. An elderly farmer attends to cattle at his farm in Thiruvananthapuram There are many such small farms that have wound up, she says. However, there are many which have opened up too but that are either run by people who have backup resources or are a team running such a venture. Green to White farm at Vellayani is such a joint venture, formed by a team of 11 people. Most of the members of the team are employed in other sectors and the farm is their way to destress and fulfil their passion for animals. We were planning to support our friend who had left his job with IndusInd Bank and was into dairy farming. His venture at Sreekaryam had run into trouble and we, in the process of helping him out, procured a farm run by a woman in Vellayani who was facing issues from local politicians. We registered it as a farmer-producer company six months ago. Now, we have 38 cows on the farm, says Prakas G R, a partner of the farm. A farmer-producer company is one of the safest ways to take such ventures forward, say dairy farmers. They point to a lack of support from the government as a reason for more individuals shutting shop. An example is a farmer at Vellayani who had a dairy unit with 10 cows. He is winding it up now because his neighbour complains of a foul smell and other polluting factors. With no help from anywhere to tide over the crisis, the farmer has now decided to call it quits. The pollution certificate is a must for licence renewal. But for that, they sometimes make tall demands, like having three to four acres with no residence in vicitnity for the farm to function. Such spots are rare in the city, says Prakash. Another reason is the stifling scut work that goes behind getting the paperwork done, procuring subsidies or even the unfriendly insurance norms. We have to run behind all these for months. Then the subsidies are hard to come, and they are given as loans to buy cows. But we have to arrange for the infrastructure on our own (the pen, the water supply and drainage system, the waste disposal, et al) which would take a solid Rs 4 to Rs 5 lakh. As regards insurance, cattle have to be insured with a premium of Rs 3,000-Rs 4,000, and it can be claimed only if the cattle dies. Hence, we decided not to go for it and handle things on our own with the money we make from dairy sales, says Sheeba S who runs a unit with about 15 cows. S Sheeba and her daughter at their cattle farm in Thiruvananthapuram She now gets up at 3.30am every day to wash the pen and prepare the animals for milking. We cannot employ a person. If we do that, the cost would be around Rs 20,000-Rs 50,000. So I do whatever can be done with my husband and my daughter, working from 3.30am to 7pm with breaks for food and shower. The income from this has to be managed well. I have door-to-door supply as well as supply to milk cooperative societies, she added. The supply to milk cooperatives alone wont suffice the farmers, most of them say. We may get feed in return for the Rs 43 they provide us but that feed will not give us good yield. So we get good feed from Tamil Nadu, and this again takes investment. On an average day, supplying outdoors will fetch us around Rs 60 and supply to cooperative societies will fetch us Rs 43 to Rs 48, says Jayasree. The Animal Husbandry Department (AHD), however, claims to have a host of programmes that will help farmers plan their activities better. The training sessions that the Livestock Management Training Centre (LMTC) has devised for dairy farmers across the state help prepare them to understand the process of cattle care better and ensure better yield for money, says an LMTC official. A separate agency is being put together as per a Union government scheme called A Help where Kudumbasree members would be trained to take up the role as a link between the department and the dairy units, she says. Also, now marginal farmers are being supported and are being encouraged to expand their unit to a minimum of 10 cows, says Dr Gopakumar T, Public Relations Officer of AHD. This would help them with better output and hence better yield and profit. The census for 2019 says we had a 13 lakh cattle population in the state. The 2024 census will have more, with each unit going through an expansion. However, the AHD officials were not clear about how the insurance facilities would be drafted to meet the requirements of farmers who have over 10 cows. Insurance per panchayat allotment is just for 40 to 50 cows. How would the insurance requirement be met is a question to ponder over. We farmers are very positive and maybe this in turn will prove beneficial for the state. But in that case, it will be our effort more than the governments, says Lakshman C Nair, who runs the Dairy King farm at Puliyarakkonam in Thiruvananthapuram. The techie-turned-farmer caters to premium customers and shops in the city and enjoys every bit of his farm life and the rural milieu. I keep my cattle happy, play them music, care for them so that they give me the best yield, he says with a playful wink.
Kerala: KSRTC firm on booze bust despite service disruption
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The recent decision by KSRTC to crack the whip on staffers consuming alcohol during duty hours has started affecting the schedules. Officials said the shortage of crew, particularly drivers, was disrupting services. For instance, on Monday, 15 services had to be cancelled at the Pathanapuram depot due to mass absence of employees. As many as 12 staffers did not turn up for duty as they learned that the KSRTCs internal vigilance wing initiated action against three employees who had consumed alcohol during duty. The trip cancellation has affected people, especially those dependent on KSRTC services in rural areas. Transport Minister K B Ganesh Kumar, however, said breathalyzer tests would continue, and warned of strict action against erring employees. KSRTC started breathalyzer tests on all employees, excluding women, on April 1. As many as 100 employees were caught in the first 15 days. Those who faced action included station masters, vehicle supervisors, security sergeants, mechanics, conductors, and drivers.
In a first, Alappuzha sizzles under heatwave threat
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With Palakkad and Thrissur districts having experienced heatwaves over the past few days, Alappuzha is now facing a looming threat of similar conditions. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heatwave alert along with a warm night warning for Alappuzha, marking the first instance of such an advisory in the district. The alert indicates that both daytime and night temperatures are expected to remain uncomfortably high. Alappuzha has been experiencing a noticeable increase in temperature this summer, with Tuesday recording 37.1Celsius. Monday had seen a record-breaking high for April, with the mercury soaring to 38.3Celsius. The high humidity in Alappuzha is a criterion considered for the heatwave alert. While other districts have a criteria of 40Celsius, Alappuzha requires only 37Celsius along with a departure of 4.5Celsius to be considered for the alert, said Rajeevan Erikkulam, a meteorologist with the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority. The rise in sea surface temperature attributed to El Nino is a major contributing factor to the rise in temperature this year. Besides the changes in the local land conditions and absence of summer rains worsened the weather condition, he added. IMD issued a warm night alert in Alappuzha on Tuesday based on the unusual departure of over 4Celsius in minimum temperature. On Tuesday, the Met department on Tuesday issued heatwave alerts in Palakkad, Thrissur and Kozhikode, besides Alappuzha, until May 2. While IMD extended the orange alert in Palakkad, it issued yellow alerts in the other three districts. Palakkad is likely to record a maximum temperature of 41Celsius. A construction worker quenching his thirst during the days work at Chala market in Thiruvananthapuram | Vincent Pulickal Be on guard The IMD on Tuesday issued heatwave alerts in Palakkad, Alappuzha, Thrissur and Kozhikode until May 2 Monday saw Alappuzha recording an all-time high for April, with the mercury soaring to 38.3Celsius Warm night alert in Alappuzha on Tuesday based on the unusual departure of over 4Celsius in minimum temperature IMD extends orange alert in Palakkad Thrissur is likely to record a maximum temperature of 40Celsius, Kozhikode 39Celsius and Alappuzha 38 Celsius during the period. Palakkad escaped the heatwave condition by a slight margin, thereby breaking the trend of the past four days. The district reported 40.4Celsius, which is 4.4Celsius above the normal on the day. Thiruvananthapuram, Alappuzha, Thrissur and Kozhikode reported temperatures 3-3.5Celsius above the normal. Southern districts received rain in many places, with isolated pockets receiving thunderstorms.
Thiruvananthapurams woman Mayor faces flak for misbehaviour with bus driver
Thiruvananthapuram: Protests were held by the Congress and the BJP, as well as a section of state roadways employees, in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday against the way Mayor Arya Rajendran, her CPI-M legislator husband Sachin Dev and other family members behaved with a bus driver of the state-owned KSRTC. The protests came after CCTV visuals surfaced Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
Kerala: Man gets life term for sexual abuse of minor daughter
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : A fast-track court here has sentenced a 40-year-old man to life imprisonment for the sexual abuse of his six-year-old daughter. Passing the verdict, Judge R Rekha said the offence committed by the accused was heinous and the child had lost her childhood because of the vile act. The accused was found guilty of various charges, including multiple sexual abuse and abusing a child below the age of 12. The court announced triple life imprisonments and a rigorous imprisonment of 21 years against the man. However, the sentences will run concurrently. The incident pertaining to the case occurred on July 2023. Since the childs mother was working abroad, the girl was intermittently staying with her father and grandmother. The girl was abused while staying at her fathers place. The case was investigated by Poonthura ASI Beena Begum and Valiyathura Inspector Ratheesh G S. Special prosecutors R S Vijay Mohan and Akhilesh R Y appeared on behalf of the prosecution.
Kerala state Information Commission for vigilance probe into missing files related to road work
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : The State Information Commission has recommended a vigilance investigation to trace the documents related to the money spent on the construction of the road to Kannur Ezhimala Naval Academy which are yet to be submitted to the commission by the State Public Works Department. The files from various offices related to the works to the tune of Rs 1,71,29,902 carried out in 1998 to increase the capacity of section O/000 to 6/420 of Ezhimala Naval Academy Top Road. In this regard, the response received by the RTI Commission was that various files in the offices of the assistant executive engineer, executive engineer, superintending engineer, and chief engineer were missing. The work was executed by Chandragiri Construction Company. It was found that Rs 73,91,032 was given to the company. But no records of further works, due amount or completion of work could be found. There were files from the stage of submission of proposal for the road to sanctioning of money. Despite the efforts of senior officials of the department, the files are nowhere to be found. The disappearance of files from different offices on the same subject is suspicious. Therefore State Information Commissioner A Abdul Hakim suggested that the vigilance wing should investigate it. No documents such as approved PAC, revised estimate, bill copy, copy of M book, administrative permission, technical permission, financial permission, tender, work permit, or completion certificate are missing. All these files were lost before the audit. 4 hearings in 4 districts The High Court had directed the State Information Commission to find out the truth in the matter. After four hearings in Kannur, Kozhikode, Thiruvananthapuram, and Malappuram and discussions with superintending engineers and chief engineers, Commissioner Hakim sought a vigilance investigation
Opposition stages walkout over row involving Thiruvananthapuram mayor
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The city corporation council meeting held here on Tuesday turned stormy when the councillors of all three fronts - LDF, BJP and UDF - locked horns over the controversial spat between Mayor Arya Rajendran and a KSRTC driver that took place a few days ago. Soon after the council meeting began, the BJP councillors stormed into the well of the council hall demanding a discussion on the tussle between the Mayor and the KSRTC driver. Responding to the ruckus made by the opposition parties, an emotional Arya Rajendran said that it is unfortunate that a woman was being put under pressure for questioning someone who made obscene gestures at her. BJP councillor K Anil Kumar raised the issue soon after the council proceedings began questioning the behaviour of the mayor and the opposition councillors started hurling allegations at the mayor. Soon, the LDF councillors sprung from their seats and heated arguments were exchanged. Later, the BJP councillors shouted slogans and staged a walkout. BJP councillor M R Gopan said that the mayor should have shown some dignity to her position while making such a scene in public and her conduct is not suitable for a mayor. The ruling front has always been anti-people in its conduct and the past three- and-a-half years of their rule proves it. Now she wants to expel the driver who is working on a temporary post in KSRTC. She had so many options to deal with the issue but she chose to behave in such an immature manner, said M R Gopan. Though LDF councillor D R Anil demanded that a resolution be passed demanding the dismissal of H L Yadu, the driver, it was not passed. What transpired BJP councillor K Anil Kumar raised the issue soon after the council proceedings began questioning the behaviour of the mayor and the opposition councillors started hurling allegations at the mayor. Soon, the LDF councillors sprung from their seats and heated arguments were exchanged
Kerala state Excise Enforcement Squad head retires after 25 years of anti-drug crusade
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: State Excise Enforcement Squad (SEES) head T Anikumar hung his boots on Tuesday, ending a 25-year-long stint with the organisation that he had helped evolve into a potent force combating the drug menace. What made the former excise assistant commissioner stand out was his dedication and perseverance, which helped the SEES crack numerous cases and shore up the offensive against organised drug racket that found Kerala a lucrative market to peddle their products. To put his achievements in numbers would be an arduous task. Under him, the SEES that came into existence in 2019, have so far seized 9,000 kg cannabis, one lakh litres of spirit, 250 kg of hashish oil and impounded more than 750 vehicles, including 150 lorries, that ferried the contraband. The SEES during its countless operations also seized Rs 2 crore from those involved in drug peddling. For the good works, Anikumar had received 400 Good Service Entries, the highest an excise officer in the state has received till now. Anikumar, a native of Chanthavila in Thiruvananthapuram district, said the formation of SEES was a watershed moment in the history of the department as it emboldened the sleuths to launch daring operations. The formation of Excise Commissioners Squad and SEES were two major milestones in our anti-narcotics offensive. After SEES, we managed to seize large consignments of drugs, including ganja weighing several quintals, which dealt a huge blow to the organised drug rackets, he said. According to Anikumar, Kerala has managed to maintain a clean slate when it comes to the production of intoxicants. Drugs are not being produced in Kerala. However, drugs from other states do find their way to the state because we have a market here, he said. According to him, cannabis influx is from the border areas of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, while synthetic drugs, including MDMA, are sourced from Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi and Goa. Anikumar said the use of drugs among children should be addressed seriously and policies should be tweaked to deal with this threat more effectively. Just giving awareness lessons wont do. We need to keep school and college campuses clean and for that the drug supply to the students should be cut off. The excise officials and school teachers should work in a more coordinated manner to achieve the task. Anikumar said the conviction rate is also going up in the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act cases as the officers have now gained expertise in filing water-tight cases using the provisions of the act. Earlier that was not the case. If a person was caught in possession of spirit and ganja, he would have mostly been booked under Abkari Act. The officers of that time used to think that booking someone under the NDPS Act was a demanding process. But we took the initiative and changed the scenario. We studied the court judgments on NDPS Act cases and began learning how to present a foolproof case. The effort culminated in us bringing out a handbook detailing the procedures to be followed in NDPS cases and that was well received, he added. Anikumar had to face hardships also during his anti-narcotics juggernaut.
Plea before SC for CBI probe into corruption in Karnataka Board exam
BENGALURU: A CBI investigation into the illegality and corruption in the Karnataka Board Examination matter for Classes 5, 8, 9 and 11, has been sought in the Supreme Court, with the matter expected to come up in one or two days. The petitioner, CN Deepak, has requested the court to appoint a retired judge to supervise the matter. He pointed out that CBI investigated a similar matter in Kerala, and found many guilty and had them convicted. He said he was approached by whistleblowers within the Department of Education, who confided in him about a conspiracy, and collusion between several high-ranking public servants within the department and printing groups. It has come to light that highly lucrative contracts for printing question papers and answer sheets for the Board examination this year for Standards 5, 8, 9 and 11 were awarded to such printing groups for inflated sums, with public servants set to receive substantial kickbacks upon expediting the payments. The attention and disapproval that this Board examination fiasco received from this court led the department to rush the examination in an attempt to prevent scrutiny. This information, provided by insiders, further strengthens the applicants concerns about the presence of widespread corruption in the conduct of these Board examinations, explained his legal counsel KV Dhananjay, in the Supreme Court. He said the present case bears striking similarities to a corruption scandal that unfolded in the state of Kerala, where the CBI investigated large-scale corruption in the printing of Class 10 Board examination question papers. In CC No. 5/2011 (RC No. 27(A)-2005-KER) before the Special Judge (SPE/CBI) in Thiruvananthapuram, a group of public servants and private individuals who used the pretext of a printing contract for the Kerala SSLC Board exam to engage in extensive corruption and plunder of public funds, were tried and convicted in August 2022. The modus operandi involved securing the lucrative contract for a benami entity, submitting hugely inflated bills, suppressing government orders on printing rates, and public servants abusing their positions to facilitate the fraud in exchange for illegal gratification. The CBIs investigation and subsequent conviction exposed how corruption had infiltrated the sacred domain of school education, Dhananjay explained.
Kerala: Ripples in BJP camp over EP row put Sobha Surendran in a spot
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The E P Jayarajan row and the subsequent political developments could well turn out to be counterproductive for BJP and its state vice-president Sobha Surendran. Embarrassed by her revelations that attempts were made to woo seven senior leaders from different parties including LDF convener E P Jayarajan to the BJP camp, the party national leadership is mulling action against her. Even as CPM appears keen to play down the EP episode, its ripples in the BJP camp refuse to die down. There are indications the national leadership is likely to take disciplinary action against Sobha, in the light of her revelations regarding the partys Operation Lotus in Kerala. Highly placed sources told TNIE that the partys Kerala prabhari, Prakash Javadekar, will soon submit a detailed report to national president J P Nadda. While BJP will hold a state-level meeting on May 7 in the presence of Javadekar, the national leadership is likely to take up the matter once the Lok Sabha poll results are announced, said a senior BJP office-bearer. Sobhas revelations have in effect validated the oppositions allegations that BJP is luring opposition leaders through various means, including by offering money. This could also prove a setback for BJP in the long run. Now, there are fewer chances that any leader from opposition parties would approach BJP. It has put a question mark on the leaderships credibility, the party functionary said. Meanwhile, Javadekar has reportedly conveyed his dissatisfaction over Sobhas links with controversial middleman T G Nandakumar. BJPs Operation Lotus is said to be operated confidentially without keeping even the state leadership in the loop. However, Sobha, through her statements, revealed that opposition leaders are lured with the help of middlemen through bargaining. The national leadership has reportedly instructed the state leadership, including K Surendran, not to make any public statements on the issue. Surendran had earlier claimed he was aware of Sobhas operation. There is strong resentment within the party over Sobhas revelations. In a Facebook post, senior leader P Reghunath said links with tainted people are not appropriate for leaders. BJP doesnt induct people through middlemen. Such middlemen cannot be trusted. BJP workers and society know the party has a clear organisational structure, he posted. Party insiders also questioned Sobhas claims that she was in charge of enrolling new members. The leaders pointed out that as part of the membership campaign for 2023 a committee was formed nationally under the chairmanship of former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Prithviraj Chauhan. She was included in the committee as a representative of south India and of women. The committee, however, stopped functioning in December 2023. She was never part of Operation Lotus, said a leader. The insiders also questioned Shobhas claim she has been allotted a room at the party headquarters in New Delhi. Except for party president, general secretaries, organisational general secretary, co-organisational general secretary, secretaries and vice presidents, no other leaders are given rooms in the headquarters. Theres a hall for the national executive members to rest, the leader said. EP sends legal notice to Sobha, Sudhakaran and Nandakumar LDF convener E PJayarajan has sent legal notice to BJP leader Sobha Surendran, Congress state president K Sudhakaran and controversial middleman T G Nandakumar for allegedly making defamatory and false statements against him the previous day. Jayarajan has warned the trio of legal action against them if they do not make an apology through media, or pay compensation to the tune of Rs 2 crore. The notice was served through Adv M Rajagopalan Nair.
Kerala: 'Vote from home facility gets thumbs up of elderly
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The vote from home facility has evoked a good response from elderly electors above the age of 85 years in the state as nearly half of them exercised the option to cast their votes in the Lok Sabha election. However, only 17% of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) chose the vote from home option, a detailed analysis of the final voting figures has revealed. As per the states final electoral roll, there are 2.46 lakh voters in the 85 years and above category. According to figures accessed from the office of Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Kerala, Sanjay Kaul, 1.19 lakh such electors had cast their votes from home. This constitutes 48.35% of the total elderly voters above the age of 85 years who figures in the voters list. The vote from home facility, was first provided to voters aged 80 years and above, those in the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) category and Covid patients in the 2020 Bihar assembly elections. It was introduced in Kerala in the 2021 assembly elections. Last year, the Centre amended election rules to raise the age cap of senior citizens from 80 years to 85 years. After the poll panel provides a list of electors aged 85 years and above and PwD voters, Booth Level Officers contact them to inquire if they want to utilise the vote from home option or prefer to cast their votes directly at the polling booths. If the voter chooses the vote-from-home option, a prescribed form is filled up and a polling party reaches the voters house where he or she casts the vote through a paper ballot and drops it in a box. The entire process is videographed and carried out in the presence of political party representatives to ensure transparency. The facility is a boon for the elderly who would otherwise skip the election taking into account numerous difficulties associated with it. However, taking into account the physical condition of the elderly population, the age limit should be lowered to at least 75 years, said Dr A Salahuddeen Kunju, president, Senior Citizens Welfare Association,Thiruvananthapuram. Meanwhile, the voting preference of differently-abled voters offered a stark contrast to that of the elderly electors. Of the 2.464 lakh voters in the PwD category who figure in the electoral roll, only 45,850 (17.35%) exercised their franchise from home in the recent Lok Sabha election, shows statistics accessed from the CEOs office. George K Thomas, a disability rights activist and founder of Freedom on Wheels, said a large section of differently-abled persons prefer to cast their votes directly in the polling booths despite the difficulties involved. For people like me, visiting a polling booth to cast my vote is an experience in itself. Besides it also sends out a message of inclusiveness and need for increased access to public places for differently abled persons, he said. According to Prajith P, co-founder of Mobility in Dystrophy Trust, who cast his vote from home, there needs to be more awareness among PwDs about the facility. Not all Booth Level Officers were pro-active enough to contact PwD category voters and make them aware of the vote from home facility. Some had a basic idea about it but did not know much about the process or the deadlines, he said. VOTE FROM HOME OPTION Senior citizen (85 yrs and above): 48.35% Total no of senior citizens in voters list: 2,46,959 Senior citizens who voted from home: 1,19,425 Persons with disabilities (PwDs): 17.35% Total no, of PwD electors in voters list: 2,64,232 PwD electors who voted from home: 45,850
Kerala: KSRTC set to roll with Bike Express initiative
KOCHI: The KSRTC is looking to give its logistics division a fresh set of wheels! Soon, one will be able to avail the services of the state road transporter to move two-wheelers to any location in the state. Following a pilot, the corporation is all set to implement the proposal called Bike Express on a wider scale. The corporation is modifying two buses and rolling out a dedicated van for implementing the scheme. The companys managing director has cleared the proposal and work is progressing. The dedicated vehicles will be launched in the coming days, a senior official said. The public sector entity has been receiving a lot of enquiries, many of them from women riders. We carried out a trial in January, when Volvo buses were used to transport two-wheelers. It helps those who are looking to move their vehicles over long distances without riding them and avoid the harsh weather conditions, the official added. Special ramps will be fitted to the doors of buses and the van to enable the smooth entry and exit of two-wheelers. Apart from ramps, the dedicated vehicles will also have hydraulic doors. Logistics initiative filling coffers of KSRTC Were studying the tariffs of railways and private operators to fix the rates. More modified vehicles will be introduced based on demand, the official added. Until the special vehicles are rolled out, bike transportation will be limited to bus stations in Kozhikode, Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Kottarakara. Scania buses are now being used for bike transport. But we dont want to inconvenience regular passengers by taking more orders. Were waiting for the special vehicles to implement the scheme in a major way, he added. While its yet to come out of the red, the logistics initiative, introduced last June, is filling the KSRTCs coffers. The divisions monthly revenue crossed Rs 40 lakh for the first time last month. Ernakulam is the hub of the operations, with daily average collection of around Rs 20,000. Total collection statewide in March was Rs 40,49,945. April has so far yielded Rs 39,71,000. We expect another Rs 1.5 lakh on April 30. Ernakulam clocked a revenue of Rs 5.50 lakh in March after registering Rs 3.36 lakh the previous month, said a senior official. Unlike other areas, almost all the routes pass through Ernakulam, either the Ernakulam South or Vyttila centres, said Tiny Koshy Alex, assistant transport officer, Ernakulam. The transporter currently has 48 dedicated logistics counters. Its planning to expand the initiative by taking the franchise route.
TTEs protest in Kannur, Palakkad, Shoranur, Mangaluru on May 1
Human Rights Commission sends notice to Palakkad, Thiruvananthapuram DRMs
Pre-monsoon cleaning activities being initiated in Kerala to counter epidemic outbreaks
High likelihood of major dengue outbreak in State during May-July; According to disease surveillance reports, dengue fever seems to show a slight increase in all districts, especially Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Malappuram, Kozhikode, and Thrissur
Uproar in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation council over Mayor-KSRTC driver tiff
BJP councillors raise slogans against Mayor and stage a walkout; UDF councillor P. Padmakumar says Mayor should have taken steps worthy of her position rather than blocking the bus and causing difficulties to the passengers
Incident came to light after child complained of severe pain and was taken to a hospital by her grandmother
'Sanju Always Plays For The Team', Says Father Viswanath After Son's Selection In T20 WC Squad
The Senior Selection Committee: The Senior Selection Committee of the BCCI on Tuesday named a 15-member India squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup to be played in the West Indies and the US from June 2-29. In the battle for the second wicket-keeper's slot, Kerala's Sanju Samson has edged out K.L. Rahul as Rishabh Pant makes a comeback to the national team after a long injury lay-off following his horrific car accident in December 2022. The selection of Sanju, currently leading table-toppers Rajasthan Royals from the front in the Indian Premier League (IPL), has left his father elated. I have been waiting for this moment since 2013, and now he (Sanju) has finally crossed the first hurdle to make the 15-member India squad. The next step is to break into the playing XI, and after that runs should flow from his bat. When this happens, I will be truly happy, said Samson Viswanath, Sanju's father. Viswanath was a constable with the Delhi Police, who also represented the Delhi football team in the Santosh Trophy. Later, he quit his job and returned to his home in a coastal hamlet near the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. I quit my job to ensure that my two sons play cricket. I have been waiting for this moment for long. Sanju always plays for the team, not for himself, said Viswanath. Elaborating further, he said that till the 2023 IPL, Sanju had a different approach. He was trying to hit every ball for the maximum... But this season we are seeing a different Sanju. Now I am waiting to see him score runs for the country, said Viswanath. Sanju has been working very hard and we are all waiting eagerly to see him perform, he added. Sanju has played 16 ODIs and 21 T20 Internationals for India since 2015.
Nothing More Shameful, Disgraceful: Rajeev Chandrashekhar On Amit Shah's Fake Video
The BJP's Thiruvananthapuram candidate Rajeev Chandrashekhar tore into the Congress over Amit Shah's fake video. In January, the Prime Minister warned the country that political parties with vested interests will misuse deep fakes to mislead people. He said it in a broader sense. Today we see a sorry embarrassing side of a political party like Congress, manipulating a video of the Home Minister - a criminal act in itself - to propagate misinformation that reservations are being cancelled. There is nothing more shameful, more embarrassing, more disgraceful than the Congress party coming to this level of politicking that they have to edit and create deep fakes to conduct political discourse during an election, he said. Listen in.
Kerala: SSLC exam results on May 8, HSE, VHSE Plus Two exam results on May 9
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The results of the SSLC (Class 10) exam and the Higher Secondary Education (HSE) and Vocational Higher Secondary Education (VHSE) Plus Two exams will be accounced on May 8 and 9 respectively. Last year, the SSLC exam results were announced on May 19 and Plus Two exam results on May 25. According to General Education Minister V Sivankutty, the declaration of the results of SSLC and Plus Two exams before May 10 was owing to the accurate planning and execution by the department. A total of 4.27 lakh students took the SSLC exam this year. The number of students who attended the Plus Two exams (HSE and VHSE) was 4 70 lakh.
Workshop on IPR, patent filing and drafting on Thursday
CSIR-NIIST, Thiruvananthapuram, to host event in connection with observance of World IPR Day
Bank holiday on May 1: Will banks be closed tomorrow? Check city-wise list here
Bank holiday on May 1: Banks in Thiruvananthapuram, Patna, Panaji, Nagpur, Mumbai, Kolkata, Kochi, Imphal, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, and Belapur will be closed for Maharashtra Din/May Day (Labour Day), as per the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) holiday calendar.
CPI(M) leader Jayarajan accused of corruption by Congress
CPI(M) leader Jayarajan accused of corruption by Congress Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee chief K Sudhakaran on Tuesday said that he was certain there wouldn't be any action against CPI(M) veteran and LDF Convenor E P Jayarajan over his controversial meeting with BJP leader Prakash Javadekar, remarking that the Left leader was the custodian of the ruling party's ''palace of corruption.'' His statement comes a day after the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala defended Jayarajan and said there was nothing wrong with his meeting with Javadekar, who is also the BJP's Kerala in-charge. The party had said it was quite common for political leaders to meet their counterparts from other parties. While talking to reporters here, Sudhakaran took a potshot at the CPI(M) saying that after its state secretariat meeting in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday, Jayarajan walked out like a cricket player who hit a century. Sudhakaran alleged that the party decided not to take any action against Jayarajan to save Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan from facing difficulties or getting into trouble. ''I was certain that there wouldn't be any action against E P Jayarajan as he was the custodian of their (CPI-M) palace of corruption. If he was touched, the entire palace would be burnt. I have said in the beginning itself that the CPI (M) leadership won't take any action that would hurt or annoy Jayarajan,'' he said. If any action was taken against Jayarajan, it would cause troubles for leaders, including Vijayan, he said. The CPI (M) made it clear on Monday that directions have been given to Jayarajan to end his relationship with persons like T G Nandakumar, who allegedly played the role of a middleman by facilitating his alleged meeting with Javadekar. While addressing a press conference at the AKG Centre here, CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan said some ''yellow journalism'' is suggesting that the labourer's party will fall for right-wing politics with just a meeting with a BJP leader, but asserted that the Left parties have a different history in Kerala. The CPI (M) has not reacted to Sudhakaran's allegations.
Revealed! Tharoor's Retirement Plans
'Once I have done serving the people of Thiruvananthapuram for a record fourth term, which no MP has ever done, it is entirely reasonable that someone else should have a crack at it.'
Families navigate high costs and scarce resources in Kerala's autism landscape
KOCHI: Preetha G P, the mother of 20-year-old Siddharth, realised her son had severe autism when he was just three. When she saw her son exhibiting delayed communication and restlessness in pre-school, she took him for a check-up. This was years ago. Back then, such conditions were unheard of. My son did say some words in the beginning, but his prolonged difficulty in verbal and emotional expression was concerning. He was diagnosed with Level-3 ASD, formerly known as low-functioning autism, says Preetha, a small-scale entrepreneur hailing from Thiruvananthapuram. Therapy and proper guidance help people on the autism spectrum get basic chores done. It includes self grooming, behaving according to various situations, etc. However, access to therapy is still not a feasible option for many, she says. For this, inclusivity is a must. People on the autism spectrum need to have social interaction with those not on the spectrum. This is what Ive always struggled to achieve, Preetha explains. According to her, in Kerala, there is a dearth of accessible facilities like therapy centres and schools that help in the development of people with autism. However, either itll be too expensive, or wont have enough resources available as per requirement. I dont expect to get my son educated, because his learning skills are poor. However, I want him to develop the capability to function in my absence, she says. Dr Arun B Nair, consultant psychiatrist at Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, rejects terms like high functioning and low functioning as such labels can cause miscommunication and increase stigma. Also, neither one describes the level of ability across multiple categories, he says. He broadly explains autism thus: Autism is a communication disorder and is a broad term. Only around 1/3rd of the population on the spectrum has normal intelligence. This is what people interpret as high functioning. Of them, only 10 per cent would be exceptional in one skill, that is called savant syndrome, he says. If we can identify a persons forte and provide ample training, they will be able to function without much intervention. He cites one example. Years ago, parents brought a Class X boy for consultation, saying they werent able to find a rehabilitation centre for him. They were from a rural area and were finding it difficult to look after him. The boy never looked at my face. But he was scribbling something on a piece of paper. After consultation, I saw that he drew quite a decent portrait of me. I told his parents to channel resources to help him excel in this skill, he says. However, the doctor explains that not many children with autism will stick to a routine. So trainers have to schedule according to the students convenience. After proper treatment and guidance, the boy has grown up to be a designer. He is working in an advertising firm in Bengaluru, says Arun. Affordability & accessibility Dr Jayasree, whose son is now 22 years old, was adamant about not taking her son to a special school. She wanted him to interact with peers who werent from the same background. She believes such social interactions are beneficial, especially with students outside of Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as they can improve their analytical capability. I took him to several schools. However, they all said the school management wont be liable if my son faces mistreatment by the so-called normal students. After much searching, a top school in Ernakulam agreed to enrol him on the condition of hiring a shadow teacher at an additional cost on top of the already high fees. There were quite a few staff and students who supported him, Jayasree says. The social environment has been beneficial for him. However, Jayasree says, affordability is one major concern when it comes to the development of children on the spectrum, and one of the major factors that caters to their well-being is therapy. Occupational therapy, speech, behavioural modification, and sensory integration... all help one to function smoothly. Private-run institutes are proven to be effective, but it is not feasible for most parents. For 45 minutes of training, the cost ranges from `100 to `1,000, sometimes higher, she explains. Autism affects people from all walks of life. But what about those who are financially struggling? she asks. Ive seen instances of mothers tying up their children at homes when they go to work. No parent wants to do this. Arent they also part of society? The service has to penetrate the grassroots level. Need for inclusive education Dr Arun confirms that the state isnt fully equipped with the necessary facilities. According to recent studies, in every 50 births, one child might be on the spectrum. In that sense, we require facilities even at taluk level, including psychiatric departments. This will help them get treatment near their houses and avoid travelling long distances, he says. Preetha has now found her son in a residential facility in Thrissur for training and therapy. Since Sidharth doesnt have access to education, she makes sure to include social activities in his routine. A few years ago, during a summer vacation, I took Sidharth to a swimming camp. Swimming can improve motor skills, speech, cognitive ability and confidence. However, he was denied access to the facility, as they dont have staff to train children with autism. She also adds that when Sidharth was sent to school he also faced physical torture. The staff mistreat children when it becomes difficult to discipline them, she alleges. However, many on the spectrum cannot express what they feel and experience. It was a few students with Down syndrome who spoke to me and showed marks on their body, Preetha explains. Training and therapy According to Dr P Bhanumathi, founder of AMHA Autism Centre in Thrissur, which has been functioning as a non-profit organisation for the last 28 years, daily therapy is required for children with ASD. Aside from education, the next priority is to make them capable of doing things on their own. For that, we also have ADL (Activities in Daily Life), like grooming, making the bed, preparing food, and how to behave with visitors. Autism is a spectrum that requires more intervention, she says. Bhanumathi says as per his knowledge, there arent any solid government programmes or facilities accessible to a large number of people. As a result, private institutes are mushrooming, presenting themselves as game-changers. But many end up not being helpful to the children, she adds. She cites cost as one reason. One need to spend `1,000 per hour, which may add up close to `Rs 40,000 a month. Not many can afford it. And if parents discontinues classes, after a few months of seeing improvement, then the childs development may regress. Another major issue, she says, is access to dedicated rehabilitation facilities. Her centre in Thrissur accommodates people above 18 years old. Currently, we are at capacity with 60 members. And the oldest is 72 years old, she says. People on the spectrum, as they grow up, suffer from the absence of their guardians, as aged parents and financially struggling families find it difficult to look after them. Where will these people go? There should be similar organisations accommodating those above 18 years, Bhanumathi adds. And she points out the main hindrance the lack of aid from the government. Employment When it comes to employment opportunities, so far no person on the autistic spectrum has secured a government job in the state, though a reservation is available. As per the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, which is in line with the principles of the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities, there is 4% reservation for all persons with disabilities. Under the Act, theres a 1 per cent reservation exclusive for people with mental illness, intellectual disabilities and on the autism spectrum. However, it hasnt yet been executed. Once a list of eligible persons are prepared, some would get government jobs, says Jalaja S, additional director of the social justice department. For special care According to Shooja S Y, state programme officer, Samagra Shiksha Kerala (SSK), autism centres have started functioning at 168 block resource centres. The centres are equipped with therapists and special educators, he says.Students in government and aided schools who require additional support are referred to the centres. There are 2,886 special educators available in schools along with 1,468 special care centres. However, this is still not enough. The role of special educators is to empower general teachers and help them guide the students effectively. Unfortunately, most of the autism centres lack speech therapy, sensory integration therapy and such facilities. Fund for the same has to be approved, he says.
Kerala: Parties back to old ways, poll materials litter roads
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It has been three days since the general elections are over, but the political parties and the candidates are yet to remove the hoardings, posters and flyers they put up across Thiruvananthapuram during the campaign period. Fearing the political parties, the civic authorities have not initiated any steps to remove even hoardings that have been disrupting the movement of the pedestrians and obstructing the vision of motorists. Unfortunately, we have a failed system that doesnt care about such violations, said S Reghu, president, the Confederation of Residents Association (CONFRA). There are rules and regulations, but the authorities do not seem keen on enforcing them. The mess also reflects how irresponsible the political parties are. Despite directives, the corporation is also accused of not collecting and clearing the illegal hoardings and posters that were removed by Election Commission squads during the campaign period. We havent received any such direction. The revenue authorities are handling the removal of waste accumulated during the drives, said an official of the corporations health wing.
Sexual abuse of minor girl: Ex-SI in Kerala gets 6-year jail
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The fast track court here has sentenced a former police sub-inspector to six years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually harassing a girl, who was 16 at the time. Sajeev Kumar, 54, a former SI of the Bomb Detection Squad, was sentenced by Judge R Rekha, who also ordered him to pay a fine of Rs 25,000 to the victim. The prosecution represented by Special Public Prosecutor R S Vijay Mohan and Akhilesh R Y examined 20 witnesses and produced 23 documents to prove the allegation. The girl was harassed on November 26, 2019, at her residence. Sajeev was the president of the residents association, while the girl was the childrens club president. Sajeev committed the offence while visiting the girls house in connection with the activities of the residents association.
Kerala LS polls: Thiruvananthapuram, Attingal voter turnout figures revised
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Election Commission has revised the voter turnout in Thiruvananthapuram and Attingal parliamentary constituencies in the district to 66.47% and 69.48%, respectively. Of the 14.30 lakh voters in Thiruvananthapuram constituency, 9.50 lakh, including 4.67 lakh men, 4.83 lakh women and 29 people from the third gender, cast their votes. Of the 13.96 lakh voters in Attingal, 9.70 lakh -- 4.49 lakh men, 5.21 lakh women and 13 people from the third gender -- exercised their rights. In Thiruvananthapuram, 5,509 voters who are aged 85 years and above chose to use the vote from home facility. Of these, 5,064 cast their votes from home. In the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) category, 1,313 people voted from home. Another 1,629 voters under the essential services category cast their votes at the Voter Facilitation Centres (VFCs). In Attingal constituency, 6,891 senior citizens (85 years and above) and 3,244 PWDs exercised their franchise from home. Of the 2,426 electors who applied under the essential services category, 1,748 cast their votes at the VFCs.
Work or vote? Kerala's migrant workers in flutter mode
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The general election poses a dilemma for migrant workers like Abul-Hassan, a hotel employee in Thiruvananthapuram. They must choose between returning home to vote or remaining employed. Abul-Hassan, unlike his roommate Junaid who left for Dispur in Assam a month ago, opted to stay back. Junaids decision reflects a common struggle among migrant workers, considering expenses and risks to employment associated with their travel. This election has, however, seen a significant number choosing to return home to vote in the third and fourth phases. Many incorporated voting into their Eid holidays, departing even before the first phase. A small group plans to leave before the third phase on May 7. This behaviour has surprised migration analysts. Benoy Peter, executive director at the Centre for Migration and Inclusive Development (CMID), notes that migrants from Assam and other northeast states, who are usually indifferent to elections, are now concerned about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. This newfound importance assigned to voting stems from a combination of factors, including Eid, job loss due to heatwave restrictions, and vacation opportunities. Family pressure and the presence of fellow voters also influence their decisions, Benoy said. The cost of a trip to Assam, estimated at around `3,000, presents a significant barrier, which is compounded by the challenge of securing train seats and the additional expense of unplanned travel. Kerala hosts about 40 lakh migrant workers from 25 states. According to Benoy, this group, mostly youth, could change the election dynamics of the state if allowed to vote fearlessly. Seven out of 10 families in Odishas Sardhana block have at least one migrant worker, he said. If all of them get a chance to vote, they can influence election outcomes. Migrant workers have seen the outside world. They are opinion leaders in their communities. However, making a trip solely for voting remains arduous for migrants, with no tangible incentives. S Irudaya Rajan, chairman of the International Institute of Migration and Development, acknowledges the importance of the CAA issue but doubts the willingness of many workers to risk the journey. Irudaya notes that less than 5% of migrants across the country would travel to vote. Migrants put off trips even for family functions to save money. So, why should they go for elections? Very few middle-class Keralites who work in Bengaluru travelled home to vote, he pointed out. Stressing the vital contribution of migrants to the economy, he called for remote voting to enable their participation in the democratic process. I do not want migrants to go to EVMs. The EVMs should come to them. They are the ones who are helping the economy grow, Irudaya stressed. State of flux Making their voices heard Among the states that supply the most migrant labour in Kerala: Bengal & Bihar | Will see voting in all remaining five phases Assam | Votes in phase 3, on May 7 Odisha | Goes to polls in the last 4 phases State of Migrants Number 40L from 25 states in Kerala One in four employees is a migrant They prop up states informal sector by spending over Rs 15,000 cr annually Movement patterns in play According to KHRA, almost 60-80% of migrant staff members have left Construction, logistics and manufacturing among other sectors set to be impacted, besides salons and stationary shops, say manpower firms Less than 5% to travel for voting, says expert Whats egging them on Regional/family pressure to vote Concerns over Citizenship (Amendment) Act Election coinciding with annual vacation Job restrictions due to heatwave Challenges to voting Travel cost Job loss Expert recommendation Remote voting facility Voting facility for long-term residents in their localities
Key sectors in Kerala hit by labour shortage
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Nearly a half of Kerala Hotel & Restaurant Association (KHRA) members missed a study camp in Ponmudi on Monday, preoccupied with addressing staff shortages in their establishments. The food sector, heavily reliant on migrants, faces a crisis with many returning home to take part in the general election. Members who did not attend the camp say they are concerned about shutting down their shops because of the labour shortage. The hotel industry is facing a severe crisis. Almost 60-80% of the staff have left, says G Jayapal, president of KHRA. Workers in the sector mostly hail from the northeast and West Bengal. The sector is heavily dependent on migrant workers for cleaning and kitchen help. Mass leave in this season is unprecedented. Most of them cited CAA and family pressure to vote for taking leave, said Jayapal, adding that some of the employees took flights home. Employee numbers started dwindling from April 15. And hoteliers are concerned that this labour is unlikely to return immediately after the election in their states. Staff shortages extend beyond hotels, impacting the construction, logistics and manufacturing sectors, besides salons and stationary shops, according to manpower consulting firms. The migrants have been moving in batches of 20-50 in the last one month. It will be difficult to replace them, said Antony X P of Business India Outsourcing, a contract labour company based in Ernakulam. People from Assam and northeastern states are mostly employed in hotels and as receptionists while those from Odisha and Bihar are involved in hard labour. The company has provided around 1,330 employees to 30 companies, an official said. Migrants now make up one in four employees in Kerala, contributing significantly to the economy. According to the Centre for Migration and Inclusive Development (CMID), they support the informal sector through their annual spending of nearly `15,000 crore. The state will come to a standstill if significant numbers of migrants leave. But there is no such trend now, said Benoy Peter, executive director of CMID.
Kerala Police boost cybersecurity, adopts VPN for sensitive data transfer
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state police have started transferring sensitive data through Virtual Private Network (VPN) in a bid to enhance safety after several unsuccessful attempts were made by hackers abroad to intrude into the systems. The data pertaining to CCTNS (Crime and Criminal Tracking Network Systems) and popular police apps such as Pol-App and miCoPS are now being fully transferred through the VPN, while efforts are on to stream the CCTV visuals from all the police stations via the network. A senior police official said the work to enable data-sharing from CCTVs in police stations via VPN is on and is expected to be completed within November. The visuals from CCTVs in police stations are very sensitive and it could jeopardise the security of the state if the footage is accessed by undesirable elements by hacking into the open web platform. Hence, we have decided to transfer the data via VPN so that it will remain secure, the official said. VPN offers an encrypted form of communication through a virtual tunnel in the wider internet that helps the user sidestep surveillance and interception. What prompted the police to overhaul the existing file transferring protocol was the attempts made by hackers to glean information from sensitive portals during the G20 Sherpas Meeting at Kumarakom from March 30 to April 2, 2023. Highly-placed sources said the cyber security wing detected attempts from Pakistan-based hackers to gain access to sensitive repositories. Multiple attempts were made targeting sensitive portals. But our cyber agencies managed to thwart them all, the sources said. The department launched the project to usher in a paradigm shift in its communication by January this year. The sources added that file transfer in several vital sites such as the e-office portal, which enables digitisation of the file flow in government departments, will soon be switched to VPN. Additional security features such as double authentication have been introduced in some of the portals where file transfer has been taking place in open web channels. These security features will continue till their file movement is switched to the VPN, the sources said. After migrating to VPN, selected IP addresses are whitelisted and they alone are given access to sensitive data. This will prevent unauthorised access to classified information, thereby preventing leakage of data that could compromise national security, the sources added. Lone access VPN offers an encrypted form of communication through a virtual tunnel in the wider internet that helps the user sidestep surveillance and interception. After migrating to VPN, selected IP addresses are whitelisted and they alone are given access to sensitive data. This will prevent unauthorised access to classified information, thereby preventing leakage of data that could compromise national security
'Didnt make any obscene gesture at mayor,' says KSRTC bus driver
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even as he pleaded innocent to the charges levelled against him, temporary KSRTC bus driver L H Yedu who was involved in the altercation with Thiruvananthapuram Mayor Arya Rajendran on Saturday night is likely to lose his job. On Monday, the KSRTC vigilance executive director asked the central depot unit head to relieve Yedu of his duties. The controversy surrounding the incident however refused to die down with both parties levelling serious charges against each other. Speaking to TNIE, Yedu refuted allegations that he made sexually coloured gestures at the mayor and her family travelling in a car. He accused the mayor and her husband, Balussery MLA Sachin Dev, of attempting to intimidate him. I didnt make any obscene gesture, said Yedu, a resident of Nemom. He said the incident occurred around 10pm when the bus was coming from Pattom. This car was trying to overtake through the left and there was constant honking from the car driver. Though I gave way, the car couldnt pass because there was an autorickshaw in front of them. Later, at Plamoodu, while passing through the one-way traffic, they tried to overtake again. When I didnt yield, their ego was hurt. They made a scene by parking the car in front of the bus and threatening me, Yedu said. Meanwhile, new CCTV footage has pushed the mayor-MLA couple onto the back foot. The visuals showed the mayors car parked across the road on the zebra line, blocking the bus. Aryas fresh allegation that the driver was under the influence of intoxicants could not be proven in the medical test carried out immediately after the incident. She had earlier said the bus was not obstructed. However, footage from cameras near the shopping complex at Palayam spoke otherwise. 'Reacted as driver humiliated womanhood': Arya The police have slapped sexual harassment charges (IPC Section 354 A) against the driver based on the mayors complaint that he made indecent gestures at her. However, they refused to register the drivers complaint against obstructing the bus and causing inconvenience to the passengers. A police source said the trip was cancelled after the driver had to be detained for committing an offence, and hence, a case cannot be registered against the mayor and her family. It was the driver who committed an offence, making remarks against the women including the mayor. So he was picked up by the cops and the remainder of the bus service had to be truncated. It was not the act of the mayor that culminated in the cancellation of the trip. So, there wont be any case against the mayor, the source said. When the issue sparked a controversy and the CCTV footage showed the mayors private car parked on the zebra crossing, the police finally acknowledged Yedus complaint. On Monday, the police gave him a receipt on his complaint. I am not associated with any trade union but I am getting support from a few drivers unions. At the same time, I am worried about paying my sons school fee, Yedu said. The mayor, however, continued her offensive against the bus driver, saying they reacted against him as he had humiliated womanhood. It shouldnt be viewed as a matter that arose because he didnt give space to overtake the bus. He tried to ram the car with the bus, and while overtaking, he showed sexually loaded gestures at the women including myself, Arya said. The police have recorded the statements of the mayor and some of the bus passengers. Further, it was pointed out that Yedu had a history of involvement in such cases. Yedu said he had a case against him for outraging the modesty of women but claimed he was acquitted by the court as it was a fabricated one.
LDF convenor Jayarajan receives Kerala CPM backing despite controversy, retains position
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Senior CPM leader E P Jayarajan, who put the party in a spot on the day of the Lok Sabha election, will continue as LDF convenor for the time being. In what appears to be an obvious cover-up, the state CPM on Monday gave a clean chit to Jayarajan who admitted to meeting BJP national leader Prakash Javadekar in the presence of controversial middleman T G Nandakumar. A final decision on action against the party veteran will be taken by the CPM Central Committee. Noticeably, the CPM also decided to launch a counter campaign on the whole issue, projecting it as an example of party leaders ideological capacity to withstand attempts by the BJP to woo them over. Kerala: Bid to destroy me and my party says EP Jayarajan The party secretariat that met on Monday decided to back Jayarajans claims that a section of media along with BJP leader Sobha Surendran and Congress state chief K Sudhakaran hatched a conspiracy against him. At the secretariat meeting, EP presented his version of the story. Following this, the secretariat decided not to take any action, but directed him to stay away from shady characters. The CPM also directed EP to initiate legal action against Sobha. Later speaking to the media, EP denied allegations raised by Sobha that he went to Delhi to join the BJP. The secretariat witnessed severe criticism against EP for his links with shady characters'. Though the state secretariat cannot recommend disciplinary action against EP whos a central committee (CC) member, the matter will come up for discussions before the state committee. After deliberation in the state committee, the state unit will report the same to the CC. A final decision would be taken at the CC meeting in this regard. CPM rejects reports of EPs BJP bid The state CPM also decided to start counter campaign on the issue to show how party leaders withstand BJPs attempts to woo them. Jayarajan had some issues with the party, and opponents have been trying to cash in on the same for a long time, a secretariat member told TNIE. Javadekar visiting him with the help of T G Nandakumar was part of the BJPs attempt to lure him. However, he withstood such attempts. He did not join the BJP. That is important now, he said. KPCC president alleges secret Pinarayi-Javadekar meet After the secretariat, CPM state secretary M V Govindan justified EP. He told the media that EP had met Javadekar about one year ago and there was nothing wrong in not reporting it to the leadership. Concerted efforts are being made against Jayarajan by propagating fake news with an anti-Communist view. The secretariat has asked him to put an end to links with controversial characters. He has told the meeting that he has no links with T G Nandakumar anymore, he said. Govindan also rejected reports that EP tried to join the BJP. EP will continue as LDF convenor. It is not right to say that one should not speak to a leader of an opposition party, he said. Asked whether Sobha Surendran had held any talks with the CPM, Govindan jokingly said she was too big a leader for the CPM to accommodate. LDF convenor met Javadekar with Kerala CMs knowledge: Congress
Never thought about joining BJP: LDF convenor to CPM secretariat
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: LDF convener E P Jayarajan on Monday told the CPM secretariat that he has never thought about joining the BJP. I never thought about joining the BJP at any point in my life, Jayarajan is learnt to have told his party colleagues. Speaking at the meeting, he alleged concerted efforts by T G Nandakumar to trap him. He alleged that the real attempt was to target CM Pinarayi Vijayan through him. Kerala: Bid to destroy me and my party says EP Jayarajan Sources said an emotional Jayarajan went on explaining about his meeting with Javadekar. My meeting with BJP leader Prakash Javadekar lasted for only five minutes. Since we didnt talk politics during the meeting, I thought there was nothing to report to the leadership. He told me that since he was in charge of the Kerala BJP, he has been meeting leaders of different political parties. As he was passing through near the flat he thought he should make a courtesy call. I also said I was happy to meet him. As I had to attend another function, I was about to leave and thus we parted. Now when I look back, I think Nandakumar was part of the conspiracy. Such a move against me has been going on for quite a long time, Jayarajan explained. He further pointed out that allegations against him surfaced after he said that Congress leader K Sudhakaran will join BJP. I havent met BJP leader Shobha Surendran. It was long back that I visited New Delhi. My recent visit was to participate in a protest organised by the LDF government. I usually stay at Kerala House whenever I visit New Delhi. Channels aired her allegations without cross-checking with me. My son has never called Shobha Surendran. At a marriage function, Sobha introduced herself to my son and asked for his mobile number. Then she messaged him to call her. However, he did not return the call. Instead he blocked her number. After her statements, a section of the media started propagating that I held talks with the BJP leader and would join that party, he said. On polling day, a conspiracy was hatched with the help of the media to trap me. They were trying to target CM Pinarayi Vijayan through me. There was a big conspiracy behind it all, he said, requesting the party to initiate legal action against those behind the conspiracy. LDF convenor met Javadekar with Kerala CMs knowledge: Congress
LDF hopeful of winning majority seats in Kerala: State Secretary M V Govindan
Thiruvananthapuram: CPM state secretary M V Govindan on Monday exuded confidence that the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) would win a majority of the 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala. Addressing a press conference after the state secretariat of the CPM, the first meeting of the party leadership after the polls on April 26, Govindan said the people had rejected Narendra Modis much-touted guarantees. The BJP which started off talking about beneficiary schemes that did not evoke much response from the people, has now shifted its priorities and was unleashing communal propaganda to polarise the society. The CPM state secretary accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of carrying out a communal campaign directly to polarise the elections. He has started dividing the society on religious lines after finding that the Ram Temple and CAA issue had not gone down with the people as the BJP expected. The CPM leader hit out at the BJP-RSS for using all possible tactics in Kerala to polarise the society on religious lines. There was an attempt to polarise the voters in Vadakara constituency. He said the CPM hopes that a secular government will come to power at the Centre after the polls. In Kerala, the LDF is expected to perform very well as Rahul Gandhis influence did not do wonders this time like in 2019 when the UDF won 19 of the 20 seats. This will be reflected in the Wayanad verdict as well, he said. Govindan said the BJP would not be able to open its account in Kerala this time also. It will come third in Thrissur, a seat that the BJP leadership is claiming that it would win this time. Jayarajan issue Govindan said that the CPM state secretariat has directed E P Jayarajan to take legal action against those who levelled allegations against him in connection with his meeting with the BJP Kerala in-charge Prakash Javadekar. Jayarajan will continue as the LDF convenor. At the meeting, Jayarajan said the allegations were part of a conspiracy hatched by the anti-communist forces in the state to weaken the CPM. The party also asked him to snap ties with people like broker Nandakumar and exercise caution while meeting people. The LDF convenors meeting with Javadekar had triggered a major controversy on the polling day with a senior BJP leader Shobha Surendran claiming that Jayarajan had plans to join their party.
Two people die in southern India as heatwave scorches region
Two people die in southern India as heatwave scorches region At least two people have died in the southern India's state of Kerala of suspected heat stroke, media reported on Monday, as the country battles temperatures soaring to record levels. A 90-year-old woman and a 53-year-old man died in Kerala on Sunday, the Hindu newspaper reported, as temperatures soared to 41.9 degrees Celsius (107 degrees Fahrenheit), nearly 5.5 degrees Celsius above normal. We are yet to confirm whether these deaths were due to heatwaves. The medical process for examining the deaths is on, state disaster management official Shekhar Kuriakose said in the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. Scientists have said climate change is contributing to more frequent, severe, and longer heatwaves during summer months. Temperatures across Kerala, at India's southern tip, were expected to be higher than normal, causing authorities to issue warnings asking people to take precautions against the heat such as staying indoors. In neighbouring Tamil Nadu state, a local politician was handing out fresh fruit, coconuts, and cold drinks in Chennai to help people keep cool. India's weather department has predicted more heatwave days than normal between April and June, when the monsoon will hit and temperatures usually fall. In the eastern state of Odisha, where temperatures touched 44.9 C (113 F) on Sunday, the highest recorded in April, at least two people have died this summer of sun stroke, said Odishas public health director Niranjan Mishra. In neighbouring Bangladesh, authorities again closed all primary schools across the country and educational institutions in almost half of districts including the capital as a severe heatwave saw temperatures climb above 43 C (109 F) on Monday. But for those who work outdoors, like rickshaw driver Mohammed Shameem in Dhaka, there is not much respite. It is too hard to work under the sun during a brutal heatwave. There are not many people who are coming out which means getting passengers is tough. But we have no option but to come out and work, Shameem said.
Kerala Transport Minister Investigates Allegations of Misconduct Against Bus Driver Towards Woman Mayor Kerala Transport Minister K B Ganesh Kumar on Monday sought a report from the KSRTC managing director in connection with a complaint lodged by Thiruvananthapuram Mayor Arya Rajendran alleging that a driver of a state-run bus misbehaved with her and her family. Meanwhile, the driver alleged that police have refused to register a case lodged by him against the mayor for blocking the bus in the middle of the road. He also said that the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) authorities have asked him not to report for duty. The mayor and her family on Saturday night got into a heated argument with the KSRTC bus driver after blocking the vehicle at Palayam junction. The mayor alleged that he (driver) made sexually suggestive gestures at them. She claimed that the driver was rash and negligent and they intervened after the bus was about to hit their car from behind. When she and her sister-in-law looked at the driver through the window panes on the back, he allegedly made sexually suggestive gestures at them and overtook their vehicle, the mayor alleged. However, the driver told the media that it was the mayor and her family who created the problems. ''She blocked the bus and caused issues. I will pursue the matter legally,'' he said. He also alleged that the police have not registered any case based on his complaint. Meanwhile, the Cantonment police have recorded the statement of the mayor. The mayor denied the allegation that the state-run passenger bus was blocked for not giving way to her private car. ''The issue was not about giving way to the car. We stopped the bus because he made sexually suggestive gestures,'' the mayor said. She also alleged that there are already two cases against him, one of which was for showing similar lewd gestures at a woman. Video footage aired by news channels showed the mayor and her co-passengers in the car engaging in heated arguments with the bus driver after blocking the vehicle at Palayam junction on Saturday. Police had arrested the driver based on the mayor's complaint that he misbehaved with her. He was released as the case was registered as a bailable offence, police said. The driver had alleged that the mayor's vehicle attempted to overtake the KSRTC bus on the wrong side. He claimed that the mayor's husband, MLA K M Sachin Dev, forced passengers to get off from the bus after blocking it on the road. The driver also said that he was not aware that Arya Rajendran was the mayor and Sachin Dev was an MLA. The couple, along with their family members, were on their way to attend some personal matters. The mayor claimed that the driver shouted at them when they questioned his alleged misbehaviour.
Career development association meet calls for Industry 5.0, workers well-being
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The four-day Asia Pacific Career Development Association (APCDA 2024) conference, jointly hosted by Technopark-based startup Lifology and Kerala Knowledge Economy Mission (KKEM), has called on industries to improve efficiency, productivity and overall worker well-being, aligning with the vision of Industry 5.0 along with larger economic and social development goals. Being held for the first time in Kerala, the conference hosted at Technopark from April 24 to 27 was themed Re-invention 5.0. The hybrid format of the annual conference inspired career practitioners, researchers, and policy makers to embrace the transformative shifts brought by Industry 5.0. APCDA executive director Marilyn Maze said that choosing Re-invention 5.0 as the theme reflects the commitment towards integrating human-centric values in workplace practices. The special edition of Lifology Magazine, that delineates career resources and global career challenges, and how to keep pace with technological changes, was unveiled at the event. A study report on Understanding Keralas Workforce: A Comprehensive Analysis of Job Seeker Behaviours and Employment Challenges in Kerala, prepared by Lifologys research and development team, was also released. It involves an intensive survey of 51,021 job seekers and provides an in-depth analysis of the states employment landscape. Gems Education vice-president Matt Tompkins, APCDA president Allan Gatenby, APCDA office-bearer Serene Lin-Stephens, Lifology CEO Praveen Parameswar, and Lifology co-founder and director Rahul J Nair released the report and unveiled the Lifology Magazine. Keynote speakers at the conclave included Brian Hutchison, Core Faculty at Walden University and APCDAs former president; Brain Aware Training CEO Britt Andreatta and Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council (K-DISC) member secretary P V Unnikrishnan. APCDA, a US-based non-profit association in education field, serves as a forum for sharing career development ideas and practices in the Asia Pacific region and engaging with global perspectives. Delegates from over 20 countries attended the hybrid conference.
Kerala: DAC students leave for Oman to take part in autism awareness programme
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A warm send-off was accorded to a team of differently-abled children of Magic Planets Different Arts Centre (DAC) at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on Saturday participating in an awareness programme in Oman. The students will be attending the programme on autism being organised by the Oman National University of Science and Technology. Christine Rose Tojo, Rukhsana Anwar, Vishnu R, Ardra Anil and Aparna Suresh are the children from the centre who will be attending the progamme. Kazhakkoottam MLA Kadakampally Surendran, airport manager Priya and corporate communications manager Mahesh Gupthan were among those who welcomed the students before their journey. The programme titled Autism Awareness Day with DAC will be on till April 30. The special magic-oriented learning model developed by DAC will be presented before the faculty of the Oman university, government representatives, and renowned differently-abled pesons. This will be followed by a demonstration of the skills achieved by the students during their training at DAC. DAC executive director Gopinath Muthukad, United Nations national professional officer Mohammed Asheel, DAC corporate relations senior manager Minu Ashok, creative head Bharatharajan and Rajeena are part of the delegation that left for Oman on the invitation of the varsitys vice-chancellor Ali Bhimani. Showcasing skills The students will be attending the programme on autism being organised by the Oman National University of Science and Technology. The special magic-oriented learning model developed by DAC will be presented before the faculty of the Oman university, government representatives, and renowned differently-abled persons. This will be followed by a demonstration of the skills achieved by the students during their training at DAC. Kazhakkoottam MLA Kadakampally Surendran, airport manager Priya and corporate communications manager Mahesh Gupthan were among those who welcomed the students before their journey.
Look alike & think alike: Over 150 pairs of twins gather to bond
KOCHI: On Sunday, Manickamangalam, a village near Kalady, was the venue of a unique event featuring nearly 150 pairs of twins from across the state. Among the participants were 38 pairs of identical twins. Three triplets attended the event too. Iratta Vismayam 24 captured the attention of local and nearby residents. Organised by All Kerala Twins Community (AKTC), founded through social media interactions, the event showcased cultural programmes by participants. The presence of twin sisters Bhagyalekshmi and Dhanalekshmi popularly known as Ponnu and Chinnu on social media was an added attraction. Some members under the leadership of Viswas S Vavolil, from Ranni, kick-started the idea of creating the community. Through tireless efforts, it has emerged into a community of over 150 pairs of twins and triplets stretching from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram. Now we even have a WhatsApp group for twins, said Preetha Mukesh, one of the administrators of AKTC. This was the first programme organised by AKTC since its formation in January 2024. Excluding a few members settled abroad, almost all community members participated in the event. More than just a meet-up, it served as a platform to cherish companionship, Preetha stressed. Niya and Nisha, identical twins from Pala, Kottayam, shared their excitement. We were always curious about whether other twins think and act like us. Another meet-up of twins during Chinnu and Ponnus marriage further aroused our curiosity. Our efforts led us to AKTC and now here, they said. Nisha is my best friend and we even think alike, Niya said, explaining their bond.
Kerala: KSRTC driver booked on sexual harassment complaint by Mayor Arya
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The police have booked a KSRTC driver, after Thiruvananthapuram Mayor Arya Rajendran and her husband, Balussery MLA Sachin Dev, had a heated exchange with him after he allegedly did not give way to couples car. The Cantonment police registered a case of sexual harassment against driver L H Yedu of the KSRTCs Central depot on Aryas complaint. However, they did not register a case on Yedus complaint alleging that Arya and other car passengers obstructed the trip and misbehaved with him. The incident took place around 10pm on Saturday, while both vehicles were heading towards Palayam. The road rage incident began at Pattom. Yedu alleged that the cars driver tried to overtake the bus from the left, which he did not allow, and that led to the altercation. I was not aware about the status of the car passengers. I reacted when one of them abused me. The MLA and mayor threatened me, saying they will show me my place for hurting their ego. It was they who kept honking and tried to overtake from the left. They forced open my cabin door, he said. The police slapped sexual harassment charges (IPC Section 354A) against Yedu after it was alleged that he made indecent gestures at Arya. He was released on Sunday. Arya maintained that it was the drivers indecent gestures that escalated the issue, not that the bus did not give way to their vehicle. She also stressed that her authority was not misused. Meanwhile, a video of the altercation showed the car parked on a zebra crossing in front of the bus. It has sparked a row, with a section of KSRTC employees saying Arya and Sachin could have registered a formal complaint instead of engaging in a public showdown. Meanwhile, a KSRTC official said staffers were being given correctional training. It is a tough task to change their attitude towards smaller vehicles on the road, he added.
Two succumb to sunstroke as Kerala swelters in severe heat
The greenery along the roadside near Vandipetta in Kozhikode provides some relief to people in the summer heat. (Photo: Venugopal) The greenery along the roadside near Vandipetta in Kozhikode provides some relief to people in the summer heat. (Photo: Venugopal) Kannur/Palakkad/Thiruvananthapuram: Two persons--a man in his 50s and an elderly woman--have succumbed to sunstroke in Kerala as the southern state grapples with severe heat conditions, disrupting daily life, officials said on Sunday. Heat-related fatalities were reported in the north Kerala districts of Kannur and Palakkad. As Kerala battles severe heat, the meteorological department has issued a maximum temperature warning for 12 districts for the upcoming five days. In response to the escalating temperatures affecting everyday life, the Women and Child Development Department has opted to suspend preschool activities in anganwadis in the state for a week. A Palakkad district health official stated that the 90-year-old woman was found dead in a canal in Elappully village on Sunday. The woman, a dementia patient, had suffered a sunstroke after venturing out of her home. Her post-mortem revealed burn injuries on her body which confirmed the sunstroke, the health official said. Last week, a man was found dead with burn injuries in the district, the official added, advising people not to step out of their homes between 11 am and 3 pm. A health official in Kannur district said a 53-year-old man who was being treated at a private hospital for sunstroke died in the early hours of Sunday. The man, originally from nearby Mahe, had suffered from sunstroke while involved in digging a well in the Pallur area near Chokli on April 26, the official said. He had symptoms of breathlessness and was immediately taken to a primary health center and later shifted to another hospital in Kannur. His condition worsened on Sunday morning and he died. Although there were no burn injuries on his body, he had other symptoms of sunstroke. The official confirmed that the case is being treated as a sunstroke-related incident. According to the IMD and the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority, there's a possibility of a heatwave in certain areas in Kollam, Palakkad, and Thrissur districts. Maximum temperatures are very likely to be around 41C in the Palakkad district, around 40C in Kollam & Thrissur districts, around 38 degree C in Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, Kozhikode & Kannur districts, and around 37 degree C in Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Malappuram & Kasaragod districts, and around 36 degree C in Thiruvananthapuram district (3 to 5C above normal) during April 28th to May 2nd, 2024, the weather agencies said. These districts are expected to experience hot and humid weather conditions, excluding hilly areas, from April 28th to May 2nd, due to elevated temperatures and humidity levels, they added. Additionally, there is a likelihood of heatwave conditions occurring in one or two locations within Kollam, Palakkad, and Thrissur districts specifically on April 28th and 29th, the agencies added.
Kerala government issues new norms for Classes 10, 12 grace marks
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government has brought out detailed guidelines for award of grace marks, ranging from three to 100 in the 2024 SSLC and higher secondary exams, for students who excel in various extra curricular activities. No additional index marks (bonus marks) will be given during Class 11 admission to students who were already given grace marks in the SSLC exam, the order issued by the General Education Department has stated. Students who get A grade in events such as State School Arts Festival; Science, Mathematics, Social Science, Work Experience, and IT competitions; State-level science seminars; C V Raman essay contest; Sreenivasa Ramanujan memorial paper presentation, and so on will get 20 marks. Those who get B grade will get 15 marks, and C grade 10 marks. In events with first, second and third positions, students will be awarded 20, 17, and 14 marks, respectively. For the Special School Arts Festival, A grade winners will receive 25 marks, while B and C grade winners will be awarded 20 marks and 15 marks, respectively. While Junior Red Cross volunteers will get 10 marks, 20 marks will be awarded for members of the Student Police Cadet project. Winners of A, B and C grades in the state childrens science congress will be awarded 20,15 and 10 marks respectively. For participants of the National Childrens Science Congress, 25 marks will be awarded. Higher secondary students enrolled in Scouts and Guides will get 25 marks for over 80 per cent attendance, 40 marks for Rajya Puraskar/Chief Ministers shield, and 50 for Rashtrapati award winners. For high school students, the same categories will get 18, 20 and 25 marks respectively. For the National Service Scheme (NSS), volunteers who take part in Republic Day camp will be awarded 40 marks. Those who have NSS certificates will be given 20 marks. For National Cadet Corps (NCC), the grace marks range from 40 to 20. The grace marks for other categories are: Little KITES - 15 marks, Jawaharlal Nehru National Exhibition - 25 marks, and Balashree Award winners - 15 marks. Members of teams that won the first and second prizes in the quiz competition conducted by Kerala State Legal Services Authority will get five and three marks respectively. Sargolsavam A and B grade winners will get 15 and 10 marks respectively, and the winners of first, second and third prizes in Southern India Science Fair will get 22 marks. Under the sports category, students who win first, second and third prizes in international events will get 100 marks, 90 marks and 80 marks, respectively. All participants in international sports events will be awarded 75 marks. The grace marks for first, second and third prize winners in national-level sports events are 50, 40 and 30 respectively. Participants in national sports events will get 25 marks. For state-level sports events, the first prize winner will get 20 marks and the second and third prize winners will be awarded 17 and 14 marks respectively. Students getting up to fourth position in athletics or aquatics or games events conducted by the general education department or associations recognised by the State Sports Council or Sports department will get seven marks. The order states that if high grades bagged by students participating in State Schools Arts Festival or Science, Mathematics, Social Science, Work Experience fairs of students belonging to Classes 8 and 9 are considered for grace marks, it is not necessary that they take part in the State-level events in Class 10 too. It is enough that they get an A grade in the same event at the district level. The order also states that if a student is given grace marks, he or she will not be awarded more index marks (bonus marks) on the basis of grace marks at the next stage of admission. If a student is eligible for grace marks in various categories, only the event that fetches the highest marks will be considered.
Despite funds, elderly not given wheelchairs during polls in Kerala, says booth level officers
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A section of booth level officers (BLO) has come out against Election Commission officials for their failure to ensure minimum basic facilities listed by the commission during the Lok Sabha polls. BLOs allege that wheelchairs were not made available for elderly voters despite the allocation of funds for the same in all polling booths, which forced them to lift the voters in chairs. At the four polling booths in Jawahar Nagar LP School, Thiruvananthapuram, long queues were formed as early as 7am. The school is one of the VVIP polling booths as several prominent personalities from all walks of lives cast their votes there. Senior Congress leader K Muraleedharan, BJP veteran O Rajagopal, Trivandrum Latin Archdiocese former archbishop M Soosa Pakiam, his successor Thomas J Netto, serving and retired bureaucrats, and a few film stars usually hog the limelight on the poll day. This time, a sizeable number of the elderly belonging to both sexes had a harrowing time when they came to vote. S Syedali, who has been working as a BLO in the Jawahar Nagar LP School for the past two decades, told TNIE that this Lok Sabha election was the toughest to serve. Several elderly people came to cast their votes despite poor health and the scorching conditions. Dr E M Malathi, daughter of former chief minister EMS Namboodiripad, was brought in an ambulance to exercise her franchise. On realising there was no wheelchair, she was stretchered out of the ambulance and made to sit on it. Similarly, 83-year-old N Kamala Bai was lifted in a chair and taken to her booth number 89, said Syedali, who works with the Kerala State Beverages Corporation headquarters. Another BLO, Shajilal, who works with the survey and land records department, said the Election Commission had especially earmarked funds to procure wheelchairs in polling booths with a sizeable number of elderly voters. A ramp has been constructed at the rear of the school, which is of no use. As BLOs, we had urged the EC to ensure we are provided with wheelchairs so as to assist the elderly. Four of us, including a woman employee from the secretariat, were not provided with drinking water or even food. Thanks to politicians, we received food, Shajilal said.
Kerala: Sunil Kanugolu kicks off his next mission - 2026 assembly election
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: On April 26, as the general election in Kerala was being wound up, ace poll strategist Sunil Kanugolu kicked off his next mission the 2026 assembly election. A low-key meeting was held at Indira Bhavan, on the directive of Deepa Dasmunshi, the All-India Congress Committee general secretary in-charge of the state. In fact, the two-hour, closed-door meeting Kanugolu had with members of the war room was kept so discreet that even Congress state president in-charge M M Hassan and his deputies, who were also at the venue, were not in the know. Kanugolu, who prefers to remain low key, arrived in the capital city hours before polling ended to get to grips with organisational lapses that had been highlighted in the run-up to the election. The political strategies of Kanugolu, who is known in Congress circles as a war-room general, are believed to have guided the party to victories in the Karnataka and Telangana assembly elections. It was Kanugolu who set up the war room at Indira Bhavan on February 10. A top Congress leader said that if not for the war room, the Congress would have limited its target to just 10 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala. The recent campaign would have provided Kanugolus Bengaluru-based Mindshare Analytics team a clear picture of the ground realities in each of the 140 assembly constituencies. Another senior party leader said Kanugolu was entrusted by Deepa to ensure that groundwork for 2026 begins as early as possible. Kanugolu is working out ways to rejuvenate the party in Kerala. He has been trying to understand why the party faced defeats in back-to-back assembly elections. He also enquired about the KSU and Youth Congress elections and dearth of youth leaders from all communities, the senior leader told TNIE . For the first time, last weeks election saw an external poll strategy team undertake a serious study of election aspects, take stock of the role played by sitting MPs, the current situation, social combinations and winning prospects. Apart from Deepa, her deputy Perumal Vishwanath, were instrumental in providing valuable inputs to Kanugolu and his team. Its reliably learnt that Deepa will be relieved of her charge of Telangana, so as to allow her to focus on Kerala. Perumal has completed five years as AICC secretary in-charge of Kerala. He had hoped to get a party ticket to contest from his former reserved constituency of Kancheepuram, in Tamil Nadu. But that did not transpire. A source said the leadership was keen to ensure his attention was solely on Kerala, where the party is eyeing a clean sweep. Sudhakaran to resume charge as KPCC chief K Sudhakaran is expected to return to Thiruvananthapuram on Monday. UDF convenor M M Hassan had been holding the charge of state party president, allowing Sudhakaran to focus on defending his Kannur LS seat. However, there is speculation that a section within the state Congress is not keen to see Sudhakaran resume charge as KPCC chief. The 70-member war room, which includes 10 employees of Sunil Kanugolu, will be given a sendoff on Monday. A group photo session followed by lunch has been planned. Deepa Dasmunshi was keen to continue the war room. But fund crunch has prompted the party to wind up its operations for the time being.
11 Kerala stations among top 25 Southern Railway revenue-generating units
PALAKKAD: Eleven railway stations in Kerala have featured among the top 25 Southern Railway units with the highest originating-passenger revenues in the 2023-24 fiscal year. Thiruvananthapuram Central came fourth in the list (Rs 262 crore), after Chennai Central (Rs 1215.79 crore), Chennai-Egmore (Rs 564.17 crore), and Coimbatore Junction (Rs 324.99) Unlike other main divisions under the Southern Railway, Kerala doesnt have adequate infrastructure facilities like a full-fledged integrated coaching terminal and speedy tracks. We do not even have enough train services to meet the passenger demands. However, Kerala continues to be a key revenue generator for the railways, said a senior railway official. The official added that the introduction of premium services such as Vande Bharat trains, along with several festival-season special services, helped boost revenue from the state. Overall, Southern Railway posted an annual gross revenue of Rs 12,020 crores in the 2023-24 fiscal. Of this, the annual gross from originating passenger earnings stood at Rs 7,151 crore. Meanwhile, originating-freight earnings stood at Rs 3,674 crore.
Down to the pits, tribal villagers flay pvt firm in Thiruvananthapuram
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Every day, we put our lives at stake for a pail of water. We face constant threats of close encounters with wild elephants and bison, says Girija K, a 58-year-old of the Vittikavu settlement in Idinjar, Peringamala. Accessing water has become a challenge for inhabitants of the various tribal settlements in the area. With traditional water sources drying up, the villagers have no other choice but to venture deep into the forest in search of water pits. The pits also are now drying up. We source this water using hoses. But the area is frequented by wild elephants which often destroy the hoses. I trek through the forest twice a day to ensure the hoses are in place, says Girija, who is among the hundreds of inhabitants of her settlement. Located 37km from the state capital, Idinjar used to be blessed with streams, natural springs and water sources that never dried up even during summers. Many residents believe the water crisis was brought on by unregulated groundwater extraction by a packaged drinking water company based near Palode. The private company, which has been in operation for 10 years, is to blame for the depletion of our water resources. There are not many wells in our settlement but we never faced any water shortage in the past, says 55-year-old Ramani S, a local resident. After 6pm, the forest is not a safe place. Wild elephants roam around destroying our crops. We have suffered heavy losses yet forest authorities never check on us. They show up only when forest resources are destroyed. Every house in the settlement has a pipe connection, provided by the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) under the Jal Jeevan Mission. But the water supply project is yet to be commissioned, says Gandhi K, a 53-year-old rubber farmer from Vittikavu settlement. Omana looks down a dried-up well in the settlement. There are only three or four wells, and all of them have been dried up, the residents say Its been a year since they installed the pipes, but the wait for water continues. We depend on the forest for water. Wild animal attacks are making our lives miserable. With the crisis deepening, villagers have requested the panchayat for water supply using tankers, Gandhi adds. Notably, Peringamala is part of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve, a Unesco-recognised region of the Western Ghats. Its an ecologically sensitive area that is rich in biodiversity, says environmental activist and renowned photographer Sali Palode. The company running the packaged drinking water facility has been registered as a food manufacturing unit. Its operating in violation of rules. By extracting groundwater illegally, it is straining the natural water resources,he added. Villagers oppose new unit Residents have now come out in protest against the move by the company to set up a plastic recycling unit at Cherumalakunnu, in Peringamala. This comes after previous attempts to set up waste treatment facilities in the panchayat were dropped owing to local resistance. Peringamala panchayat officials say the company had approached them for permission to source water from a nearby pond. They submitted an application last month, but we havent issued any permission, a panchayat official says. Narendran Nair, a resident living close to the site, says: This is a populated area and plastic processing facilities will pose serious environmental issues. They leased out the land and started moving in plastic waste. We are all against the project, which panchayat authorities admit they were unaware of. We have submitted a memorandum signed by more than 300 people to the panchayat. Following complaints, the panchayat has issued a stop memo to the company. Now that the election duties are over, we will look into the issue in detail, and take necessary action, says an official. The land at Cherumalakunnu in Peringamala, where a plastic manufacturing unit of Pippa Company is coming up Have all the required clearances, says Pippa Co Pippa Co Pvt Ltd officials have termed the current controversy politically motivated. The operations of the plastic unit are legal and we have all clearances and licences for running the facility. We have the title deed for the land where the drinking water packaging unit has been functioning for the last 10 years. The groundwater is depleting because of the acasia and manjiyam trees planted by the forest department, said Manesh G Nair, sales manager of Pippa Co. We have the clearance of the industries department to set up the plastic recycling unit. We want to set up the facility to avoid environmental pollution and we are ready to process the plastic generated in Peringamala panchayat. Parched @ Peringamala It is alleged that unregulated groundwater extraction by a private packaged drinking water company has left tribal people grappling with acute water shortage Peringamala is part of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO-recognised region of the Western Ghats Pippa Company Private Ltd has been operating a drinking water extraction and processing unit in the protected forest area in Peringamala for the past 10 years Owing to intensifying summers with each passing year and unregulated groundwater extraction, all traditional water sources have vanished Tribal people are forced to venture into the woods, haunted by wild elephants every day, to source water from shallow pits deep inside the forest The effort of the same company to set up a plastic processing unit in another location has irked the villagers. The panchayat has issued a stop-memo to the company, stalling their activities
Kerala Braces for Scorching Heat as Sunstroke Claims Two Lives
Kerala Braces for Scorching Heat as Sunstroke Claims Two Lives Two persons--a man in his 50s and an elderly woman--have succumbed to sunstroke in Kerala as the southern state grapples with severe heat conditions, disrupting daily life, officials said on Sunday. Heat-related fatalities were reported in the north Kerala districts of Kannur and Palakkad. As Kerala battles severe heat, the meteorological department has issued a maximum temperature warning for 12 districts for the upcoming five days. In response to the escalating temperatures affecting everyday life, the Women and Child Development Department has opted to suspend preschool activities in anganwadis in the state for a week. A Palakkad district health official stated that the 90-year-old woman was found dead in a canal in Elappully village on Sunday. The woman, a dementia patient, had suffered a sunstroke after venturing out of her home. Her post-mortem revealed burn injuries on her body which confirmed the sunstroke, the health official said. Last week, a man was found dead with burn injuries in the district, the official added, advising people not to step out of their homes between 11 am and 3 pm. A health official in Kannur district said a 53-year-old man who was being treated at a private hospital for sunstroke died in the early hours of Sunday. The man, originally from nearby Mahe, had suffered from sunstroke while involved in digging a well in the Pallur area near Chokli on April 26, the official said. He had symptoms of breathlessness and was immediately taken to a primary health center and later shifted to another hospital in Kannur. His condition worsened on Sunday morning and he died. Although there were no burn injuries on his body, he had other symptoms of sunstroke. The official confirmed that the case is being treated as a sunstroke-related incident. According to the IMD and the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority, there's a possibility of a heatwave in certain areas in Kollam, Palakkad, and Thrissur districts. ''Maximum temperatures are very likely to be around 41C in the Palakkad district, around 40C in Kollam & Thrissur districts, around 38C in Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, Kozhikode & Kannur districts, and around 37C in Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Malappuram & Kasaragod districts, and around 36C in Thiruvananthapuram district (3 to 5C above normal) during April 28th to May 2nd, 2024,'' the weather agencies said. These districts are expected to experience hot and humid weather conditions, excluding hilly areas, from April 28th to May 2nd, due to elevated temperatures and humidity levels, they added. Additionally, there is a likelihood of heatwave conditions occurring in one or two locations within Kollam, Palakkad, and Thrissur districts specifically on April 28th and 29th, the agencies added.
KSRTC driver booked for allegedly misbehaving with Thiruvananthapuram Mayor
The incident occurred after the driver of a Thrissur-Thiruvananthapuram Super Fast bus was confronted by Mayor Arya Rajendran, who accused the driver of driving recklessly and obstructing their path
KSRTC driver booked for allegedly misbehaving with Thiruvananthapuram Mayor
The incident occurred after the driver of a Thrissur-Thiruvananthapuram Super Fast bus was confronted by Mayor Arya Rajendran, who accused the driver of driving recklessly and obstructing their path
CPI(M) leader Jayarajan accuses BJP of conspiracy in meeting with Javadekar controversy
CPI(M) leader Jayarajan accuses BJP of conspiracy in meeting with Javadekar controversy Senior CPI(M) leader and LDF Convenor E P Jayarajan on Sunday alleged that there is a ''conspiracy'' behind the allegations emerging during the Lok Sabha polls about his meeting with senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar. With the issue sparking a major controversy within the CPI(M) and the party-led LDF, Jayarajan tried to play it down, saying he will correct any mistakes on his part and move forward. Facing criticism within his party and the alliance for revealing his meeting with Javadekar to the media on Lok Sabha poll day, Jayarajan claimed that he had done so to avoid more trouble. He said no one would believe that he would join the BJP. ''My politics will not change overnight,'' the Left veteran told reporters here. He also alleged that what is going on against him is a ''conspiracy by the BJP'', and the media has also joined in ''without knowing the facts.'' Jayarajan lamented that for talking to former union minister Javadekar for only three to four minutes, news was published suggesting that he was going to join the BJP. ''Is this media ethics? On what evidence did the media base this news? Moreover, the news, which emerged on the eve of the Lok Sabha election, was part of a planned move,'' he alleged. Jayarajan expressed his dismay over Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's name being dragged into the controversy. He also alleged that KPCC Chief K Sudhakaran had a role in the entire episode. Jayarajan said that he welcomed the advice given by the chief minister with open arms. When the allegations arose on Kerala's Lok Sabha poll day, April 26, Vijayan had cautioned his party colleague to be vigilant in his associations. ''If Lord Shiva joins a sinner, Shiva will also become a sinner,'' Vijayan had said, using a vernacular saying indirectly to caution Jayarajan. In response to the controversy, leaders of the CPI, a major partner of the CPI(M)-led LDF, cautioned against Communist leaders' associations with parties promoting capitalist agendas. The CPI(M) state secretariat is likely to meet in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday amidst the ongoing controversy over the issue. The opposition Congress has demanded that the CPI(M) leadership explain why Jayarajan met Javadekar. Dismissing the allegations, the Left party has claimed it was a ploy by the Congress party to conceal its embarrassment over its party leaders joining the BJP en masse. It all began after senior BJP leader Shoba Surendran alleged that a middleman attempted to assist Jayarajan, ''who expressed interest in joining the BJP.'' On the day of the election, KPCC chief K Sudhakaran and Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly V D Satheesan attacked the LDF convenor, claiming there was a secret understanding between the BJP and the CPI(M).
Monumental Marble Kali Idol Embarks on Journey from Jaipur to Kerala Temple
Monumental Marble Kali Idol Embarks on Journey from Jaipur to Kerala Temple The famed Rajasthan marbles are all set to go into the history books as an 18.5-feet-tall Kali idol carved out of a single marble stone is all set to be sent from Jaipur to Pournamikavu Temple in Thiruvananthapuram. Carved by famous Jaipur-based sculptor Mukesh Bhardwaj, a single marble stone 30x20 feet weighing 45-50 tonnes from Bhainslana in Rajasthan, was turned into the exquisite idol that will be installed beside 12-ft-tall idols of goddesses Durga and Raja Madhanghi Devi at the temple in Kerala. The Kali idol stood at 23 feet after including the 'peedam'. ''The installation ceremony of Goddess Kali idol and that of goddesses Durga and Lakshmi will be akin to the Ram temple pran prathishtha ceremony, albeit it will be the abode of powerful and revered Hindu goddesses,'' said temple chief curator M S Bhuvanachandran, claiming it was the tallest idol carved out of a single marble stone. All three idols are being sent from Jaipur to the temple in Chavadi Nada, Venganur, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The Pournamikavu Temple, dedicated to Goddess Bala Thripura Sundari Devi, is renowned for housing the world's largest panchmukhi Ganesha idol and 51 'Akshara Devathas'. The Pournamikavu Temple stands as the sole pilgrimage in the country devoted to 'Akshara Devathas', temple authorities claimed. The idols will be accompanied by their respective 'vahanas' -- lion, tiger, peacock and swan -- during its journey from Jaipur to Thiruvananthapuram via road trailers. The idols were loaded to be transported on Sunday after a puja ceremony but will begin its journey on Monday.
Congress urges ECI to probe terrible mismanagement of Lok Sabha polls in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress in Kerala on Sunday alleged terrible mismanagement of the Lok Sabha polls held in the state on April 26 and urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to initiate a comprehensive inquiry into it. In a letter to the ECI, Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan alleged that Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
23-feet tall Goddess Kali idol coming up in Kerala's Pournamikavu temple
Thiruvananthapuram: A 23-feet tall (including peedam) Goddess Kali idol is all set to be sent to Pournamikavu temple in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday. Carved by famous sculptor Mukesh Bhardwaj, the 18-feet idol of the goddess made from Rajasthan Marbles exquisite single stone piece will be installed along with 12-ft tall idols of Goddesses Durga and Lakshmi (Raja Madhanghi Devi) at Pournamikavu temple in Chavadi Nada, Venganur. Accompanied by their respective Vahanas lion, tiger, peacock, swan these majestic idols will embark on a monumental journey from Jaipur to Trivandrum via road trailers, commencing on April 29. The idols will adorn the temple dedicated to Goddess Bala Thripura Sundari Devi, and renowned for housing the world's largest panchmukhi Ganesha idol and 51 Akshara devathas. The Pournamikavu temple stands as the sole pilgrimage in Bharat devoted to goddesses representing alphabets. Each alphabet is associated with its respective goddess, offering devotees the opportunity to seek blessings for educational and career advancement. Recently, a 17-foot Shani idol was installed in the temple another one of its kind in Bharat. The installation ceremony of Goddess Kali idol and that of Goddesses Durga and Lakshmi, will be akin to the Ram temple Pran Prathishtha ceremony, temple chief trustee MS Bhuvanachandran said. Preparations are underway to transport the towering 18.5 -foot single stone Kali idol, crafted from Rajasthan marble by sculptor Mukesh Bhardwaj , he said. Rajasthan marbles has been associated with pilgrimages like Ayodhya, Ujjain, Maheshwar, Dhar, Haridwar, Varanasi among others, said Jagadguru Suryaachaary Krishnadeonand Giri of Maharaj Murali Mandir, Dwarka, Gujarat. He said: The world's tallest Goddess Kali idol is all set to start a journey that will be a testament to devotion and craftsmanship from Jaipur to Trivandrum in Kerala via Chittor, Hyderabad, Hosur, Madurai, Nagerkoil, and that he will travel along.
IMD warns of prolonged heatwave in Kerala; temperatures 5 degrees Celsius above normal in Palakkad
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: IMD forecasts that Palakkad's unusual temperature will persist for the next 24 hours due to ongoing heatwave conditions. The district has remained the hottest place in Kerala, throughout April. In the last three days, the maximum temperature in Palakkad has risen over 5 degrees Celsius above the normal temperature. Hot and uncomfortable weather is very likely over Kerala, excluding hilly areas, with the maximum temperature likely to surpass the 95th percentile of climatological values in certain locations during the next 24 hours. Relative humidity in the range 55-65%, particularly in coastal and interior areas, further contributing to the discomfort caused by high temperatures and humidity, said IMD. According to weather experts, the hot and dry condition is likely to continue for a week in Northern Kerala, while the Southern districts are expected to receive isolated rainfall. It was only on Friday that the Met Department confirmed the heatwave condition in the district, though there were alerts earlier. Apart from Palakkad, the districts such as Kozhikode, Malappuram, Thrissur, Kollam and Kasaragod are expected to have 2 to 5.5 degrees Celsius above the normal temperature. The IMD recorded 41.8 degrees Celsius, which was just 0.1 degree Celsius less than the all-time high of 41.9 degrees Celsius, in Palakkad on Saturday.
Kerala Governor clears five pending bills passed by Assembly
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has cleared all five pending bills passed by the Assembly. It may be recalled that the governor and LDF government were at loggerheads over not clearing the bills which saw the latter approaching the court against him. On Saturday, the governor said that there was a delay in clearing the pending bills as there were lots of complaints. The cleared bills include the Land Assignment Bill, Kerala Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Bill, Abkari Law Amendment Bill, Paddy Wetland Amendment Bill and the Dairy Cooperation Bill. The governors decision to clear the pending bills comes a day after the Lok Sabha polls got over in state. Arif Mohammed Khan told reporters on Saturday that he had cleared the bills much earlier. Its that the media came to know of clearing the five pending bills only now. Since I had received a lot of complaints regarding the bills, it took a while to have it approved, said the governor.
Kerala Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission warns police for delaying action against builder
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (SCDRC) has issued a final warning to the police for dilly-dallying on the non-bailable warrant against an Ernakulam-based builder. Due to police apathy, a couple is yet to benefit from the compensation award issued 10 years ago. The petitioners in the case are a Keralite couple living in Pune who didnt get the housing unit promised by Shanthimadom Builders and Developers. In 2015, the commission ruled in favour of the couple and asked the builder to provide compensation to them. The builder never appeared before the commission and also did not pay compensation. The commission issued a non-bailable warrant against the six promoters of Shanthimadom Builders and Developers through the SHO of North Paravur Station. Despite repeated directions, the SHO neither executed the warrant nor conveyed the reason for non-compliance. The warrant was then reissued through the Ernakulam District Police Chief. The DPC or the SHO did not respond to this direction as well. The SHO did not respond to the subsequent action-taken report sought by the commission. The officer also turned down the commissions direction to appear in person. We notice with anguish that in spite of all the above orders, there has been no response from the police so far. The attitude of the police has been absolutely irresponsible and unpardonable. Police have failed to discharge their solemn duty, the commission said in its latest order. It said the petitioners were being driven from pillar to post for over 10 years to execute the order. In the latest order, the commission asked the DPC to ensure that the SHO appears before it in person and explains his version on 28-5-2024. A copy of the order has also been sent to the State Police Chief. In the absence of due compliance, the commission would be left with no other alternative but to invoke its penal powers for executing the decree in this case by sentencing the persons who are guilty of disobedience of their orders to sentences of imprisonment, it said. The order was issued by commission president Justice K Surendra Mohan and member Radhakrishnan K R.
Sexual assault on minor girl: Kerala man gets 30 years in jail
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Fast Track Special Court, Thiruvananthapuram, has sentenced a person to 30 years imprisonment and imposed a fine of `30,000 on him for assaulting a mentally ill mother and sexually abusing her nine-year-old daughter. Judge R Rekha ruled that if the culprit Raju, 56, from Attingal, fails to pay the fine amount, an additional eight months will be added to his imprisonment. The incident happened in June 2020 when the girl, who was then studying in fifth standard, came home during vacation. On the day of the incident, the man barged into the house at 10am and assaulted the mother. At the time, the girl and her little brother who were inside came out hearing the noise. Raju sexually abused the girl after chasing away her brother. He threatened to kill the girl if she told anyone about the abuse. Later in the evening, the culprit visited the house again and attempted to sexually abuse the girl again. But the mother and children threw stones and chased him away. Special public prosecutor R S Vijay Mohanan and advocate Akhilesh R Y appeared for the prosecution.
Smart waste monitoring in Kerala: 'Haritha Mithram' app to streamline garbage collection
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In an effort to strengthen and improve the efficiency of waste movement, the local self-government department (LSGD) is gearing up to deploy Haritha Mithram, the smart garbage monitoring application, to track the transportation of non-biodegradable waste across the state. The decision comes after many fire accidents were reported at waste storage facilities across the state owing to accumulation. To begin with, the LSGD has geo-tagged all 18,003 mini material collection facilities, 1,310 material collection facilities and 188 resource recovery facilities for deploying the online application. The plan is to digitise the scheduling to ensure timely movement and lifting of collected non-biodegradable waste from mini MCFs, MCFs and RRFs and avoid accumulation. Accumulation of collected non-biodegradable waste is a major issue and the local bodies are unable to track this. Once the smart garbage app is deployed, the Haritha Karma Sena members will upload a photo of the MCF and the civic authorities will be able to monitor them. They will be able to prioritise and arrange the vehicle for picking up the waste from the facilities, said an official with the LSGD. In 2023, the Clean Kerala Company Ltd (CKCL) alone collected and disposed of 42,408 tonnes of non-biodegradable waste. The smart garbage monitoring app - Haritha Mithram - is in various stages of deployment at 1,003 out of the 1,034 LSG institutions in the state. Some of the local bodies are using other online applications for monitoring waste management and we have given direction to all LSG institutions to use Haritha Mithram for picking and transporting waste, said the official. The LSGD has directed all local bodies to come up with a comprehensive transportation plan by April end. We are providing guidelines and technical support and local bodies have to come up with the transportation plans, added the official. The LSGD has engaged around 34,500 Haritha Karma Sena members across the state for door-to-door waste collection.
Thiruvananthapuram: Majority of citys traffic islands in poor state of affairs
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Majority of traffic islands in the capital city cut a sorry figure after the Thiruvananthapuram Road Development Company Ltd (TRDCL), the concessionaire of Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB), annulled its contract more than six months ago. More than a dozen traffic islands in the heart of the capital city including at Kowdiar, Vellayambalam and LMS Junction, which used to have excellent landscapes, flowering plants and fruit trees have since dried up in the excruciating humid conditions or else have been invaded by weeds. TRDCL was entrusted with the development and maintenance of 48km road under Thiruvananthapuram City Road Improvement Programme (CRIP) in 2007. The 15-years contract with the TRDCL gave the city dwellers a welcome sight at almost every traffic signal, intersections and also parks with lush flowering plants, fruit-bearing trees and roses. Every day during morning and evening, a contractor assigned by the TRDCL used to water the plants which came under the 48km stretch. But over the last several months, the landscaping, flowering trees and plants have almost dried up with nil maintenance. Despite the contract with the TRDCL expired more than six months ago, the KRBF has failed to address the issue. KRFB CEO M Ashok Kumar told TNIE that there had been a delay in preparing the estimate after the running contract had expired. By the time it was approved, the Model Code of Conduct came into being. Hence the call for tenders had to be temporarily postponed. The procedures need to be restarted after the model code of conduct is lifted, said Ashok Kumar. Out of the 48km stretch, only 33km fall under TRDCLs jurisdiction, with 15km left abandoned and poorly maintained. The neglect is most apparent in three specific stretches: from Kowdiar to VJT Hall (Kowdiar-Vellayambalam-Museum-LMS Junction-Palayam-Ayyankali Hall), MLA quarters to Chackai, and Shangkhumukham to Thiruvananthapuram airport. The authorities have no clue what to do about the project, and they are least concerned about it too. It has been nearly four months since the Kowdiar signal has ceased to function, said Anilkumar Pandala, former MD, TRDCL.
Kerala LS polls: Major fronts look to the coast for succour in Thiruvananthapuram
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The fall in voter turnout has become a concern for political parties in Thiruvananthapuram. The polling rate in the high-profile constituency, that witnessed a heated triangular fight, came in at 66.46%, down from 73.37% in previous general election in 2019. Candidates of the three major fronts exuded confidence that the dip and the last-minute rush at booths in coastal areas worked in their favour. While the NDAs claims were limited to a significant share of coastal votes, the UDF and the LDF say the people who flocked to booths in the last hours voted for them en masse. All the seven assembly constituencies witnessed a decline in polling compared with the previous general election. Nemom witnessed the steepest fall - down seven percentage points (pp) from 73.32% to 66.05%. The lone BJP MLA in history of the state, O Rajagopal, was elected from this constituency in 2016. Even though BJP lost the seat to CPMs V Sivankutty in 2021, Nemom is still considered favourably by the NDA. The segments with the narrowest difference were Thiruvananthapuram (3.48 pp) and Vattiyoorkavu (3.55 pp). The drop in polling in other constituencies were: Kovalam (5.79 pp), Parassala (5.44 pp), Kazhakoottam (5.38 pp) and Neyyattinkara (5.03 pp). Incumbent Shashi Tharoor, who is looking for a fourth straight term, exuded confidence of winning with a comfortable majority. His only concern was who would come second - NDAs Rajeev Chandrasekhar or LDFs Pannian Raveendran. Tharoors confidence stems from the fact that the three constituencies where most polling was recorded this time -- Neyyattinkara (70.72%), Parassala (70.60%) and Kovalam (69.815) -- favoured the UDF in the previous election. The NDA, however, claimed that the candidature of a Union minister has altered previous trends. Its leaders said people consider Rajeev Chandraskehar as a man who is capable of bringing development. His status as a central minister also had an impact, they say. A majority of the urban vote, combined with a significant share from UDFs coastal bastions would help our candidate win, they added. Senior CPI leader Pannian said he has been successful in plugging cross-voting, which has been a bane for the LDF in previous years. He said voting percentages were low in UDF strongholds while the LDF managed to retain its votes. Kerala LS polls: Congress pins hope on Thiruvananthapuram coastal belt
Attingal sees lower voter turnout: Will it spell trouble for UDF?
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Attingal has witnessed a decrease in voter turnout compared to 2019 general elections. With only 69.40 per cent of voters casting their votes, the constituency has seen a significant decline compared to 2019, which was around 74.21 per cent. During the morning hours on Friday, almost every polling station had witnessed heavy footfall, which continued till later in the afternoon. During the evening hours, however, the voting percentage didnt pick up pace, much to the disappointment of the political parties. LDF and BJP candidates V Joy and V Muraleedharan feel that the low voter turnout could adversely impact the UDF. Sitting MP and UDF candidate Adoor Prakash blamed the sweltering heat, delays in polling process, and brewing resentment among the public against the ruling governments at the state and the centre, for the significant decline in the voting turnout. Adoor Prakash had won the 2019 elections with a margin of 38,247 votes and had secured a total of 3,80,995 votes. Many people had to return without casting their votes because of the slow voting procedure. The polling officials also failed to rise to the occasion and this has impacted the voting percentage. Besides this, the public has been unhappy with both the governments at the Centre and the state. Pensions have been delayed, and many had approached me during the election campaign seeking solutions. All these factors have reflected in the voter turnout, said Adoor Prakash. LDF candidate V Joy said that the low voter turnout will not impact him or the LDF. Our voters have cast their votes without fail and I strongly feel that the UDF camp has failed to woo their voters to the polling booths. This is the cause of the dip in the voting percentage. The LDF had lost only in the 2019 general elections by a negligible number of votes, V Joy told TNIE. Meanwhile, BJP candidate V Muraleedharan said that a majority of the booths had completed the election procedure by 6pm and that only a couple of booths had encountered problems. In 2019, the increased voting percentage had benefitted the UDF. However, this time, the dip in voting percentage will definitely affect them. We have succeeded in winning the votes of citizens who used to support other parties, said V Muraleedharan.
After Kerala LS polls, Tharoor heads to Delhi for third phase campaign
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A day after the Lok Sabha polls in Kerala, Shashi Tharoor, UDF candidate from Thiruvananthapuram, returned to New Delhi to campaign in states going to the polls in the third phase. Asked about his victory margin, Tharoor told TNIE he has never predicted his result or even cricket scores. The third phase of LS polls is scheduled to be held on May 7 in Assam, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. Unlike the earlier three Lok Sabha elections, this time Tharoor had seven weeks of campaign duration and he utilised the campaign phase to the optimum potential. Tharoor remained unfazed when a whispering campaign was on against him citing he was facing anti-incumbency. Rumours were also rife that the Thiruvananthapuram DCC did not play an active role toward the run-up to Tharoors campaign and vice versa. But the central election committee planned Tharoors campaign routes meticulously which did not raise any complaints. He is confident of repeating his winning streak for the fourth consecutive term. I never predict cricket scores or election numbers. We are winning comfortably, said Tharoor. Kerala LS polls: Congress pins hope on Thiruvananthapuram coastal belt The excruciating humid conditions had not only affected the candidates, but the party workers as well. When asked how Tharoor wished to unwind himself from the hectic campaign, he quipped, I dont intend to do much unwinding. The AICC has asked me to campaign in other states. I reached Delhi by Saturday afternoon. I didnt bring any books with me from Thiruvananthapuram. I might watch some IPL highlights to unwind. Like everyone, Tharoor is also eager to know the poll outcome. He didnt hide his disappointment in having a long 37-days wait. Our electoral process is unnecessarily prolonged. It seems bizarre that we have so many phases spread out over so much time, he said. Pannian busy completing pending works It was a day to finish pending works for CPI veteran Pannian Raveendran. A day after the LS poll, the LDF candidate was busy completing an array of tasks. The about one-and-a-half-month-long campaigning under sweltering heat has, however, given him fresh energy, said the CPI leader. Pannian, who is also the chief editor of party organ Navayugam, dedicated his time to complete his regular sports column Kaliyezhuth for CPI mouthpiece Janayugam on Saturday. He also attended an array of meetings to analyse the LS polls. He also spent time to read some books, including the autobiography of former president A P J Abdul Kalam. We need to regularly update ourselves when we take on intellectuals. This election was a noble mission for me. Travelling in an open vehicle braving the scorching sun has given me some fresh energy. It gave me more confide-nce about myself and my energy level, he told TNIE.
