Communists in Kerala squabble like never before

Communists in Kerala squabble like never before Thiruvananthapuram: Forget Left unity, the two Communist parties in Kerala have been at each other's throats for a while now. It has reached a crescendo with the smaller of the two, the Communist Party of India (CPI) warning "big brother" Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) to immediately stop abusing it. "Don't provoke us, we give you an ultimatum that please stop uttering abuses against us. We will not take it...
12:27 PM, Feb 13, 2012

T'puram: Fight for HC Bench enters Year 4

T'puram: Fight for HC Bench enters Year 4 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: "It is a not a four-year-old fight, but one which started half-a-century ago," says advocate K P Jayachandran, Thiruvananthapuram Bar Association president and Chairman of the Joint Action Council for agitation for the High Court Bench when the second phase of agitation completes four years. Kerala is the only major state in India, other than Madhya Pradesh, which does not have a High Court or a High Court Bench...
08:50 AM, Feb 13, 2012

Kerala: Get decent, CPI tells CPM

Kerala: Get decent, CPI tells CPM Kollam: Hitting back at CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan for his remarks against him and the party, CK Chandrappan, CPI state secretary has said that leaders should use decent and respectable language. His comment comes a day after Vijayan at the valedictory function of the CPM meet the other day criticised Chandrappan calling his 'event management' comment as petty and that no one ought to be envious because of the...
11:40 AM, Feb 12, 2012

Withdraw dam case for PM's role: PMO

Withdraw dam case for PM's role: PMO Puducherry: Stating that the government of Kerala and Tamil Nadu had refused to sit together and speak to sort out the Mullaiperiyar dam issue, Minister of State for Prime Minister's Office, V Narayanasamy, on Saturday, said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh could intervene in the matter only if the States agree to withdraw cases filed in the Supreme Court. Speaking at an interactive session at the All India Editors' Meet here,...
11:28 AM, Feb 12, 2012

Kerala coir industry gets Rs 100 cr boost at expo

Kerala coir industry gets Rs 100 cr boost at expo Alleppey: The age-old coir industry of Kerala got a major boost on Saturday with business deals worth crores being signed at the second edition of the Coir Kerala International Marketing Exhibition, held in Allapuzha - the Venice of the East. The representatives of Kerala's coir industry say that valued added products like coir pith and coco lawn will bring in nearly Rs 10 billion after exports. Adoor Prakash, Kerala's Coir...
10:09 AM, Feb 11, 2012

VS to remain Kerala Opposition leader: CPM

VS to remain Kerala Opposition leader: CPM Thiruvananthapuram: Former Kerala chief minister V.S. Achuthandan will remain the opposition leader in the Kerala assembly, Marxist leader Pinarayi Vijayan said on Friday. Accusing the media of "propagating baseless lies" about the Communist Party of India-Marxist's (CPM) Kerala meet, state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan denied that Achuthanandan wanted to step down. "One thing I can say is that Achuthanandan is the tallest leader we have and he is not going to...
05:05 PM, Feb 10, 2012

Pinarayi Vijayan re-elected to top Kerala CPM post

Pinarayi Vijayan re-elected to top Kerala CPM post Thiruvananthapuram: Veteran Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan's uninterrupted reign at the top continues, with him being re-elected on Friday as secretary of the party's Kerala unit for the fourth successive time. The election was a mere formality at the last day of the 20th edition of the CPI-M state party conference. It was in 1998, when as minister of power in the E.K. Nayanar government, Vijayan first...
03:16 PM, Feb 10, 2012

Kerala: Girl pushed off moving train

Kerala: Girl pushed off moving train New Delhi: A 19-year-old girl was pushed off a moving train in Kottayam by a man on Friday. Witnesses said the man barged into the Ladies' section of the Ernakulam-Kottayam passenger train and got violent with the girl. He was caught by passengers and handed over to the police. Last year, a woman called Soumya was pushed from a moving train and raped near Thrissur. ...
11:55 AM, Feb 10, 2012

Kerala: Settled Maldivians a worried lot

Kerala: Settled Maldivians a worried lot Thiruvananthapuram: As the crisis in the Maldives worsens and India gets ready for a military intervention if called upon, Maldivians in Kerala are a worried lot. Just as thousands of Indians call Male home, thousands of Maldivians, too, are settled in Kerala. Maldivians flock to Thiruvananthapuram in thousands every year for medical treatment and education. Mohammad Farhad, First Secretary, Consulate of the Maldives, Thiruvananthapuram, says, "Trivandrum is very close to...
07:42 AM, Feb 10, 2012

Won't implement decision on retail FDI: Kerala CM

Won't implement decision on retail FDI: Kerala CM New Delhi: Congress-ruled Kerala on Thursday ruled out implementing the central government's decision on FDI in retail, saying it was not in the interest of the state. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said Kerala could not agree with the Centre's decision to allow 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail. "We will not implement it (FDI in retail). We have already conveyed our stand (to the Centre) that we cannot agree...
04:22 AM, Feb 10, 2012

Mullaperiyar row: Jaya writes to PM, slams Kerala

Mullaperiyar row: Jaya writes to PM, slams Kerala Chennai: Taking strong exception to Kerala's reported "unilateral" action in ordering real time monitoring of Mullaperiyar Dam along with the Centre without Tamil Nadu's consent, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Thursday slammed it as a "blatant violation" of the principle of federalism and constitutional framework. In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, she referred to reports of Kerala deciding "unilaterally" to install real time monitoring system for water build up,...
12:48 AM, Feb 10, 2012

'No timeframe set by PM to resolve Mullaperiyar row'

'No timeframe set by PM to resolve Mullaperiyar row' New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has not set any timeframe for resolving Mullaperiyar Dam dispute involving Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said in New Delhi on Thursday. Chandy also said that in a federal structure the Centre has limitations in getting into a dispute involving two states. Reacting to the queries about the protests by UDF ally Kerala Congress (Mani) over the issue, he said the...
12:33 AM, Feb 10, 2012

Kerala gives nod to personal rapid transit system

Kerala gives nod to personal rapid transit system Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala cabinet on Wednesday gave the nod for the formation of a new company, based on private-public participation, to set up a state of the art personal rapid transit system, which is increasingly popular abroad and now is to be implemented in major India cities. Speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram after the cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said that the entire Cabinet witnessed a presentation on this...
02:14 AM, Feb 09, 2012

Toppling UDF Govt in Kerala not on agenda: CPM

Toppling UDF Govt in Kerala not on agenda: CPM Thiruvananthapuram: The CPM in Kerala on Sunday said toppling the Congress-led UDF Government by wooing its partners was not on the party's agenda but it was of the view that the Oommen Chandy Ministry would "naturally collapse" as it had been getting isolated from the people. "We have made it clear right from the day the results of the assembly polls were declared last year that the party or the...
10:09 PM, Feb 05, 2012

Chidambaram bats for Kudankulam N-project

Chidambaram bats for Kudankulam N-project New Delhi: Home Minister P Chidambaram has recommended an early start to the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project. Speaking in Tirunelveli, Chidambaram said that the Centre was probing the flow of funds allegedly received by anti-project activists. He also welcomed Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's announcement about constituting an expert panel to address the fears of locals . "Investigation is being undertaken to ascertain how the protestors are getting funds....
11:20 AM, Feb 05, 2012