Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary V Gopal Swamy alias Vaiko was arrested, along with over 100 party workers, near Amaravathy in Tamil Nadu while he was on his way to Kerala on Friday.Vaiko was leading party workers to check whether the Kerala government was constructing a dam across the Pamba river.Water from the Pamba dam is used to irrigate thousands of acres of land in Tamil Nadu.
He also said that the prime minister had failed to live up to his promise to create two crore jobs every year.
The Kerala government has decided to give compensation of Rs 2 lakhs to the families of those killed in the hotel collapse at Thampanoor in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday.
'These atheist people wanted to finish the progress of Sabrimala temple devotees and now they are using this (the Supreme Court verdict) as a weapon to destroy the believers.'
The 14-member Committee, headed by additional chief secretary K Jayakumar, also recommended setting up of a tribunal to take the legal process forward since it would not be possible to the affected people to individually fight the legal battle.
As the bars opened their doors at 11 am on Sunday, heavy rush was seen in various outlets
The National Investigating Agency would investigate the 2006 Kozhikode twin blasts.The union home ministry has issued a notification to this effect.
The Aditya Birla Group has received in-principle approval from the Kerala government to set up a Rs 4,000-crore (Rs 40 billion) IT and Biotech Knowledge Park and a branch of Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences (BITS) at Kozhikode.
The decision, which will have many political implications in the state, was taken at a meeting of the state Cabinet. The two check dams are at the Anakkulam Lakshmi Tea Estate and the Chittuvare Estate, near the Kundala dam.
The names of Oscar winner Resul Pookutty and eminent Ayurvedic physician P K Warrier, selected for Padma Shri award, had not been recommended to the centre by the Kerala government, according to the state information commission.
The government had also stepped up its vigil at check posts.
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.
The Kerala government has not excluded the industrial units situated in special economic zones from labour laws, State labour minister P K Gurudasan told the Assembly on Thursday. He was replying to a calling attention motion on the difficulties experienced by the employees of new generation banks, IT sector and private insurance and financial institutions functioning in the state due to non-compliance of labour laws by the respective units.
The government has informed the Dubai-based Tecom authorities about the steps taken so far in this regard and that it was prepared to hold talks with the firm, chief minister V S Achuthanandan told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram.
Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation, which is the designated agency for the formation of the bank, will have 11 per cent stake in the proposed banking company.
The Left Democratic Front-led Kerala government on Wednesday accepted the Advocate General's advice against granting permission to prosecute former minister and CPI-M state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan in the SNC Lavalin corruption case.
Out of 67 fishermen, 49 are from Tamil Nadu, 13 from Kerala, four from Assam and one from Andhra Pradesh, they said.
Controversial Telugu Desam Party legislator TV Rama Rao, who is facing a case of alleged rape and murder, is likely to be arrested by the Crime Branch's Criminal Investigation Department. Five girls from Kerala have given a statement to the CID, alleging sexual harassment and attempted rape by the legislator. The Kerala government has also raised the issue with the government of Andhra Pradesh and the central government. Rama Rao has claimed that this was a conspiracy.
Kerala has seen one of the worst floods in its history during this monsoon. From August 8 to 20, nearly 223 people have lost their lives, 33 are missing and around 1.2 million individuals from 3,02,441 families are in 3,941 relief camps. Initial losses are estimated to be around Rs 200 billion (Rs 20,000 crore). With the rescue measures in its last leg, the Kerala government is looking at raising funds to rebuild the state. In an interaction with Gireesh Babu and T E Narasimhan, Kerala Finance Minister T M Thomas Isaac says he has a three-pronged strategy to raise funds. Edited Excerpts.
In an major embarrassment to the Kerala government, the widow of famous conservationist 'crocodile hunter' Steve Irwin has sent a legal notice to the state Wildlife Department, for naming a crocodile park near Thiruvananthapuram after him without her permission. Kerala Forest Minister Binoy Viswam had announced naming the crocodile park at Neyyar in Steve's 'honour', shortly after his death in 2006 in a stingray attack, while shooting a film off the Australian coast.
'It was my own decision to resign as governor.' 'I felt the party needed my services and presence during the election.' 'I did not resign to contest the election, but when the party asked me to contest from Thiruvananthapuram, I agreed.'
During the hearing, which went for over two hours, the woman said she wanted to go with her husband Shafin Jahan.
The Supreme Court on Friday asked all states and Union Territories to give within six weeks details about the number of religious structures on encroached government land that have been razed or relocated by them and those that are still standing.
The project, which is worth Rs 1,500 crore (Rs 15 billion) would have changed the face of the state but red tape and the lack of interest in the CPI-M leadership following internal bickerings in the party leading to a standstill in administration and a stagnancy in further proceedings has resulted in the Smart City calling it quits.
Saseendran said his resignation should not be seen as an acceptance of guilt.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan termed it as a routine transfer.
The guidelines, in tune with the state IT policy, was approved by the Cabinet, chief minister V S Achuthanandan told reporters.
Five men, arrested in connection with the abduction of the daughter of a Kerala Member of Legislative Assembly in Mangalore last week, were granted bail by a local court on Friday. However, their lawyer claims that the accused will remain in lock-up till the Kerala government assures them about their security.The daughter of Communist Party of India Marxist MLA from Kasrgod C Kunhambu was allegedly abducted by the accused in Mangalore last week.
Even as the Kerala government ordered a probe into the exclusion of two Muslim policemen from security duty during the recent visit of Bharatiya Janata Party leader Lal Kishenchand Advani to the state, the issue continues to spark protests from various political parties and Muslim outfits.
Nearly 10,000 people, mostly Keralite Christians, are expected to participate in the canonisation of Sister Alphonsa in Vatican on October 12.
Gandhi who visited the accident site and also met the injured, promised to do "whatever is possible" to provide succour to those affected by the massive tragedy.
The Kerala government Monday suspended two police officers for their 'failure' to professionally handle attempts by self-styled godman Himaval Mahaeswara Bhadrananda to shoot himself at a police station at Aluva near Kochi on May 17.
After the initial release of funds, the central government follows certain rules and guidelines before awarding the final aid to any state for a natural calamity.
Around six lakh people have been housed in over 2000 relief camps in the two states.
Kerala Revenue Minister E Chandrasekharan made the announcement in the assembly while replying to a notice seeking adjournment motion moved by Congress-led UDF opposition on the serious situation prevailing in the state due to the sharp decrease in rainfall.
Alarmed by the huge drop in the arrival of foreign tourists to the state due to global recession, Kerala government has set up a working group to chalk out strategies to tackle the crisis.
The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to the Kerala government on a petition challenging a high court order directing a high-level inquiry against a person who had filed a Public Interest Litigation seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the murder of Sister Abhaya.
A senior police officer told PTI that they were taken into custody after they had offered prayers.
Justice Katju had criticised the verdict commuting to life the death sentence awarded to Govindachamy for raping 23-year-old sales representative Soumya on February 1, 2011, after she fell out a moving train in Kerala.
This is the third time the temple is opening after the court verdict, though no girl or woman in the previously banned age group could offer prayers so far following stiff resistance by devotees and activists, opposing any change in the temple traditions. The apex court on September 28 lifted the age-old ban on entry of girls and women in the 10-50 age group.
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