.jpg)
The Congress led UDF government in Kerala has asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to reject the Raghuram Rajan panel report evolving new formula for devolution of funds to states.
Indian in Saudi jail: Chandy to take up issue with PM
'Once I went to meet an MLA with a complaint, but he refused to even listen to me.' 'I was insulted. That is when I decided not to vote for anyone.'
With scorching summer pushing Kerala to unprecedented drought, political parties have voiced concern in the state assembly over the acute water and power crisis even as the government said it has already taken all possible measures to tackle the "grim situation."
In an embarrassment to the ruling Congress-led United Democratic Front, Forest Minister K B Ganesh Kumar was forced to quit after his wife levelled charges of domestic violence, a development that triggered opposition demand for Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy's resignation.
Air-India's budget service to destinations in the Gulf from Kerala is expected to start in April, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told the state assembly on Tuesday.
Communist Party of India-Marxist-led Left Democratic Front opposition on Thursday forced the adjournment of the Kerala assembly over alleged police excess against women members of Legislative Assembly demanding re-investigation of charges against Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P J Kurien in the Suryanelli gang-rape case.
Adding to the humiliation of the victim of the Suryanelli rape case, who has been suffering for the past 17 years, Congress member of Parliament from Kerala K Sudhakaran has said she had moved around "as a prostitute, making money and accepting gift".
Controversial comments by former Kerala High Court judge R Basant about Suryanelli gang rape case on Monday echoed in the state Assembly with the government rejecting Left Democratic Front demand for registering a criminal case against him following which the Opposition staged a walk out.
Prime accused in the solar panel scam, Saritha S Nair, on Friday submitted before a commission what she claimed was more documentary proof, including her 'videos' with four powerful leaders, which also comprised two ministers.
The incident of two Italian marines allegedly shooting dead two Indian fishermen off Kerala's coast in February and the subsequent legal and diplomatic issues made headlines throughout 2012, which also saw many developments on the state's political arena.
Kerala government on Wednesday said it has decided to go ahead with its Air Kerala project to operate flights to the Gulf sector, despite reservations by certain quarters on the feasibility of the state operating an airline.
In its recommendations, NIC says Kerala may create two Knowledge cities where people can live and work in the same place.
Nearly a month after the Kerala high court ordered the government to pay Rs 10 lakh as compensation to scientist Nambi Narayananan for being falsely implicated in the Indian Space Research Organisation spy case, the state government on Wednesday decided to honour the verdict by paying him the amount at the earliest.
Asserting that the probe into the killing of fishermen by Italian marines was progressing well, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Monday told the state assembly that no leniency would be shown to accused Italian marines as government's priority was to ensure justice to the victims' families.
Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Stefan de Mistura on Thursday met the two arrested naval guards, charged with the killing of two Indian fishermen off Kerala coast, at nearby Wellington Island. He was accompanied by Italian Ambassador Giacomo Sanfelice, Consul General in Mumbai Giampaolo Cuttillo and the ship's captain. Mistura's meeting on Wednesday night with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy at Kottayam had failed to end the stand-off over the issue.
The Kerala high court has admitted a petition by CPI-M veteran V S Achuthanandan challenging a vigilance court order giving clean chit to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, who was a member of K Karunakaran cabinet in 1991-92 when the Palmolein case rocked the state.
Thiruvanchur Radhakrishnan, revenue minister in the United Democratic Front cabinet in Kerala, has been in the midst of the Mullaperiyar dam row. Radhakrishnan was serving as the irrigation minister when he met and negotiated with O Paneerselvam, the representative of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. In an interview with rediff.com's Shobha Warrier, minutes after holding an emergency meeting in Thiruvavananthapuram, Radhakrishnan talks about the escalating feud.
Expressing displeasure over moves to deny classical status to Malayalam language, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Thursday informed the assembly that Kerala would fight for it as it is the state's right.
Unfazed by criminal charges against him over his controversial speech about the party eliminating its foes in the past, Communist Party of India - Marxist Idukki district secretary M M Mani on Sunday said the party would resist the "politically motivated" moves of the United Democratic Front government to frame him in a criminal case.
Six passengers, whose protests near the cockpit led the pilot of an Air India plane to sound a hijack alert at the airport in Thiruvananthapuram, were on Thursday questioned by the police. In Kochi, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy continued to target Air India, saying there was "some lapse" on the part of the airline for allegedly failing to properly inform the agitated passengers about the delay in the flight, leading the pilot to press the hijack button in panic
Kerala government has given approval to a five-tier security system for the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple which has crores of rupees of valuables locked up in its vaults.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said Italy's stand on the return of two of its marines to India to face the trial for killing two Indian fishermen has violated all norms of diplomatic discourse.
Italy on Thursday asked the Kerala government to implement the guidelines outlined in the Geneva Agreement for war prisoners in the case of two Italian marines, who were arrested and lodged at the Central prison in Thiruvananthapuram in connection with the killing of two Indian fishermen.
The Kerala government has sanctioned Rs.1.54 crore to purchase modern cameras and other equipment to strengthen security at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, where a huge treasure trove was found recently.
Opposition members were up on their feet, holding up placards and banners seeking the resignation of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and other ministers over corruption allegations.
With the United Democratic Front securing power with a thin majority of 72 seats in the 140-member assembly in Kerala, tough administrative and organisational tasks are awaiting Congress as the lead partner in the bipolar scenario.
Thousands of Left Democratic Front Opposition volunteers continued their siege of the secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram for the second day, demanding resignation of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and a judicial probe into the solar scam.
After roping in eminent technocrat Sam Pitroda as Kerala's "development mentor", the Congress-led UDF Government plans to utilise the services of E Sreedharan as his term as MD of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation is to end next month.
Group rivalry in the Kerala Congress unit has intensified further as the political mission of chief minister Oommen Chandy to induct Pradesh Congress Committee chief Ramesh Chennithala into the cabinet has failed.
Speaking to reporters after a Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said the Civil Supplies Corporation and Horticulture Corporation would get Rs 65 crore (Rs 650 million) and Rs 15 crore (Rs 150 million) respectively, while the balance amount would go to the Consumer Federation and other state agencies.
Routes abandoned by long-haul Gulf carriers like Emirates and Etihad have given Indian low-cost carriers an opening. But can they compete with Air Arabia?
Infosys Ltd will set up a new campus at Technocity here, estimated to cost Rs 600 crore (Rs 6 billion), providing a boost to the IT sector in the state.
In a boost to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, the ruling Congress-led United Democratic Front in Kerala on Wednesday retained the Piravom assembly seat with its candidate Anoop Jacob winning by a margin of 12,070 votes. While Anoop Jacob (Kerala Congress-Jacob), a constituent of the UDF, garnered 82,756 votes, Left Democratic Front's S M J Jacob got 70,686 votes. Bharatiya Janata Party's K R Rajagopal polled 3241 votes. There were nine candidates in the fray.
Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Friday assured that the 46 nurses from Kerala, who were evacuated from violence-hit Iraq recently, would get their salary arrears amount shortly.
Kerala on Tuesday said it is ready for joint control with Tamil Nadu and the Centre, if a new dam is built in place of the 116-year-old Mullaperiyar reservoir, over which the two states are locked in a dispute.
Congress candidate R Selvaraj defeated the CPI-M's F Lawrence by a comfortable margin of 6,334 votes in the June 4 bypoll whose outcome has come as a morale-booster to the one-year old Oommen Chandy ministry. Selvaraj had resigned as CPI-M member of the assembly in March this year citing serious differences with the party leadership, causing the byelection, before joining Congress
Ratcheting up its pressure in the snowballing Mullaperiyar dam row with Tamil Nadu, the Kerala Assembly on Friday unanimously passed a resolution insisting on a new dam to replace the 116-year old reservoir.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances