My-Kerala News

Mid air scare on CM's flight

2009-07-04T13:47:00.001+05:30

It was some scary moments for Chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan, 2 other cabinet ministers, along with over 130 passengers who were on an Indian airlines flight travelling from Kochi to Delhi, when the flight developed a mid air engine failure forcing it to land down at Nagpur.

The passengers were then taken to Delhi in an another plane. However the aircraft is said to be a new one and its pilot also expressed that such an incident was rare for a new aircraft. Later the Chief Minister praised the pilot for handling the situation wisely, and said the pilot let them know about the engine failure only after landing.
-- MP

Kochi Metro Rail a step closer

2009-07-01T21:26:00.001+05:30

The State's Planning Commission has given approval to the ambitious Kochi Metro Rail project therby taking it a step ahead. However the project has many more stages to go through for its final implementation including the land acquisition and funding etc.

The 25.253km Metro Rail project from Aluva to Tripunithura when operational is expected to bring down the traffic congestion in the City significantly, especially during the busy hours.

The project put forward by by the State govt has also the support of the Center which has given it focus by putting it under the Union Urban Development Ministry's 100-day programme.
--MP

Kerala too affected with Swine flu

2009-06-30T15:26:00.001+05:30

Fresh cases of swine flu victims has been detected in Kerala. A 53 year old woman mother and her son who have been tested positive have been quarantined in hospital near Kochi.

Another woman who returned from Dubai is also learnt to be affected with the H1N1 flu virus and is isolated. With this medical authorities have taken more precautionary measures to monitor health screening at airports.
--MP

Vijayan summoned

2009-06-24T13:04:00.001+05:30

Kerala CPI(M) State Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan has been summoned by the CBI on the trial of the scam case involving him and eight others.

With the progress in the case, there are speculations over the next move by the politburo which is expected ot meet on July 4,5. It is likely that Vijayan may step down from the party post till the trial on the SNC-Lavlin scam case completes.

The CBI chargesheet lists Vijayan as seventh accused in the case.
--MP

NSS not happy with Cong

2009-06-22T12:32:00.001+05:30

The Nair Service Society(NSS) has hit upon Congress for igmoring the air comunity while alloting seats during the recent elections.

"Earlier, the Congress used to give five out of 17 seats to the the Nair community members. This time, the party gave only four seats," pointed out NSS leadership while speaking at the budget session in Changancherry.

The NSS leader also maintained that itwas unhappy with the appointment of the non Nair candidate to the RS seat which is now held by Vayalar Ravi but was earlier occupied by a Nair candidate. The NSS also declined to associate the elected Sashi Tharoor MP to NSS, saying that he was a 'Delhi Nair'.
--MP

Govt-management disagree on fee structure

2009-06-18T10:07:00.001+05:30

The talks relating to fee structure for the medical colleges has reached no where with the government and Kerala Self-Financing Medical College Managements' Association failing to reach a consensual agreement.

The government refused to agree to management's proposal seeking Rs 2.5 lakh for merit admission quota. And apparently what the government has proposed was rejected by the management association.

Following this, further talks are scheduled on Thursday between the government and the medical management association to discuss on this, informed health Minister.
--MP

Mansoon still weak in State

2009-06-17T11:52:00.001+05:30

Though the South West Monsoon has arrived in Kerala little early this year, the mansoon has gradually reduced its intensity in the State over the weeks.

As far as the rainfall is concerned, it has decreased over the past weeks with the weakening mansoon current. This has even delayed mansoon in the rest of the country as well. The Central parts of India are already experiencing delayed mansoons.

So far Kerala has recieved only less than the average normal mansoon rains. However it is likely that the mansoon activity could strengthen over the coming week and considerably increase the rainfalls or else would signal a drought year, warns Met dept.
--MP

NRK hotelier die in plane crash

2009-06-16T12:27:00.001+05:30

An Indian American hotelier George M. Kolath and his son hailing from Pathananmthitta district of Kerala was killed in US when his plane carrying them met with an accident.

The 42 year old hotelier who owns several chain of hotels in the US, also the CEO of the Albany, Newyork based Kolath Hospitality group was on a leisure ride with his 11 year old son and also accompanied by a family friend who was visiting them.

The plane seemed to have crashed into a nearby river soon after the take off killing all the three in the aircraft.
--MP

V S justifies Governor

2009-06-11T11:32:00.001+05:30

The in differences in the CPM over the party's stand to protect party state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan became all the more public with the Kerala Chief Minister openely justifying the Governor's move to allow CBI to prosecute Vijayan in the SNC Lavlin case.

Responding to questions at Wednesday's Cabinet briefing, V S Achuthanandan stood by the Governor's decision. "There has been similar cases, where some Governors have used their discretionary powers to study and examine the circumstances of such cases and arrived at similar decisions. There are also precedents of the Supreme Court having endorsed such decisions. So there is nothing surprising about what has happened here," he pointed out.

With V S sticking on to his stand, the CPM central leadership is in a dilemma over how to handle the issue in an amicable manner.
--MP

Governor face CPM heat

2009-06-10T12:05:00.001+05:30

Upset with the Kerala Governor's decision, allowing to prosecute CPM's state secretary, the party state unit is mounting pressure on the Governor on the issue.

Though their are reports that the Governor has gone ahead giving CBI the sanction to prosecute Pinarayi Vijayan, the government has not confirmed on this and the Left Front led government also blamed it as a constitiutional problem on the Governor's part by failing to submit the matter before the government first.

This comes in the wake of reports that Governor R.S. Gavai had on Sunday conveyed to CBI his decision to permit the prosecution of Mr. Vijayan for his alleged involvement in the SNC Lavalin corruption case.
--MP

Kerala promoting mansoon at its best

2009-06-05T23:13:00.001+05:30

With the onset of mansoon, the Kerala Tourism is trying to make the best out of the mansoon season calling out tourists not to miss the mansoon treat which is seen as an integral part of Kerala's nature.

The Southwest Monsoon or Edavapathi that starts from June is also considered the apt time for ayurvedic rejuvenation therapies.

The tourism dept has roped in special campaigns exclusively for the rainy season to woo tourists to State which is often regarded a less suitable time for travel. Special packages on ayurvedic treatments, discounts on air fares are some of the lucurative offers in place.
--MP

Cabinet secretary Chandrasekar to continue

2009-06-01T23:35:00.001+05:30

The Union cabinet secretary and 1970 batch IAS officer from Kerala, K M Chandrasekhar will continue in his post as he has been given one year extension by the government.

This comes after the govt has approved the extension for another 1 year beginning June 13 as his present 2 year tenure is getting over.

The extension of his present tenure is expected to keep up with the momentum of government's schemes and implementation of various programmes initiated by it.
--MP

Kerala pays homage to poetess Kamala Suraiya

2009-05-31T20:16:00.001+05:30

Kamala Das Suraiya, also known as Madhavikutty the renowned Kerala writer has passsed away on Sunday at the age of 75. For some time now she was undergoing treatment due to ailing health and was admitted at a hospital in Pune.

The popular poetess is known for her writings in Malayalam as well as English and has won many literary awards including Asian Poetry Prize, Sahithya Academy award, Vayalar Award, Kent Award for English Writing from Asian Countries etc.
--MP

4 more ministers from Kerala sworn in

2009-05-28T15:10:00.001+05:30

4 more ministers from Kerala sworn in Kerala has got its due share of representation in the Union Council of Ministers with 4 more of its MPs swearing in on Thursday at the Rashtrapathi Bhavan.

The newly inducted Kerala MPs in the Manmohan Singh government are E Ahmed of Muslim League, Mullapally Ramachandran, K V Thomas, and former UN diplomat Sashi Tharoor, all with MoS ranks.

With this the total strength of Kerala ministers in the Union government is 6, out of which 2 are cabinet ministers- A K Antony, and Vayalar Ravi.
--MP

CBSE Class X: Kerala witness 99.22 pass

2009-05-27T16:18:00.001+05:30

Kerala has witnessed a 99.22 pass percentage in the CBSE Class X exams this year.

The results of the Chennai region which were announced on Tuesday puts Kerala in second place after Pondicherry which scored 99.72%.

The State which has the highest number of students appearing for the exams significantly improved over its last year score of 98.64 pc. The overall pass percentage of the Chennai region stands at 95.60 this year.
--MP

Tharoor for ministerial berth

2009-05-26T13:35:00.001+05:30

Congress MP Sashi Tharoor, who won his maiden elections from Thiruvananthapuram is one of the most preferred choice among the Kerala MPs expected to join the Manmohan Singh government.

The former UN diplomat is one of the candidates under consideration by the Congress high command who is expected to induct as many as 4 more ministers from Kerala into the cabinet.

This comes apart form the 2 cabinet ministers A K Antony and Vayalar Ravi.

The others in the race include Mullapally Ramachandran, Prof K V Thomas, Kodikunnil Suresh and IUML leader P Ahmed.
--MP

Mansoon comes ahead

2009-05-23T23:34:00.001+05:30

Mansoon rains has reached Kerala way ahead from what is normally predicted towards the first week of June. However the IMD has forecasted earlier that the mansoon could arrive Kerala a week early.

The mansoon showers heralding the Kala Varsham is expected to advance further bringing more rainfall over the coming days.
--MP

18 years of jail for Santosh Madhavan

2009-05-21T22:44:00.001+05:30

Santosh Madhavan known as Swami Amritachaitanya, found guilty for sexually assaulting girls and minors has been awarded 16 years of jail term by an additional sessions court in Eranakulam.

The self styled Godman is also fined of Rs 2.20 lakh in two cases of raping minor girls. His fraudness came into light after few girls filed complaint against the Swami, for alleged sexual malpractises in his so called ashram.

Meanwhile the other accused, his driver was acquitted for lack of evidence.
--MP

Audi Kochi: Inauguration of India's First Audi Terminal Showroom

2009-05-21T16:25:00.000+05:30

Kochi, Kerala, India -- (Business Wire India) -- -- New and trend-setting dealership architecture heralds Audi quality of sales drive

Tiers: "Investment demonstrates confidence in the market's strength"
Largest luxury car showroom in Kerala; spread over 9000 square feet area with display of eight Audi cars
6000 square feet of dedicated space for workshop and premium body shop

Audi, the German luxury car manufacturer, today announced the opening of the country's first Audi terminal showroom in Kochi. 'Audi Kochi' is Audi's flagship showroom in India that exemplifies the latest and exclusive terminal architecture of Audi. The purpose of the Audi terminal is to increase the visibility of the brand through a design that is instantly recognizable in the metropolises around the world. The visionary dealership in Kochi has a 9000 square feet wide area exclusively dedicated for sales.

Mr. Benoit Tiers, Managing Director of Audi India, said, "Audi Kochi epitomizes the new terminal concept that offers a unique Audi experience to our customers around the globe. Audi's brand philosophy "Vorsprung durch Technik" stands for progressiveness, sophistication and exclusivity and 'Audi Kochi' embodies the same. This dealership offers a world class service standard that is a norm for Audi. It will strengthen Audi's foothold in the south Indian market and reinforce our commitment to reach out to customers."

As the most visible sign of the sales offensives, the Audi terminals will create an exclusive brand presence at hundreds of dealerships worldwide. In emphasizing the dynamics of the curve, the terminal's architecture of the renowned office Allmann Sattler Wappner embodies the trend-setting luxury of the brand. The curve dominates the design of the presentation areas and of the windows in the Audi terminals. The architectural concept's aluminium facade reflects the German car maker's expertise in lightweight design.

The new Audi terminal in Kochi is an addition to the worldwide examples of the new Audi corporate architecture that are already located in cities such as Tokyo, Geneva, Sydney and Munich. By the end of 2012, more than 350 Audi terminals are to be created worldwide.

Audi Kochi is Audi India's second largest dealership with 9,000 square feet exclusively dedicated for sales and a display of eight Audi cars. The world class interiors are designed using unique and exquisite materials from different countries in Europe. As the new dealer of the brand with four rings, it aims to intensify the fascination that customers and visitors have with Audi World. Initially, this pioneering dealership will have 17 highly skilled and trained employees from Audi to service customers.

An additional area of 6,000 square feet houses a premium body shop and workshop with state-of-the-art technology. It reaffirms Audi's commitment to provide world-class service standards to Audi owners.

Audi Kochi will give its customers the progressive Audi brand experience not only with the latest international standards of Audi Corporate Identity but also with Audi's complete range of models. The exclusive super sports car Audi R8 will be on display for the opening.

Address of the new exclusive Audi Dealership in Kochi

Audi Kochi
NH. 47,
Vytilla Aroor
Bye Pass Road
Marudu P.O.

AUDI AG

AUDI AG develops and produces luxury cars and sold worldwide a total of 1,003,000 cars in 2008 and thus achieved its thirteenth consecutive record year. Audi produces vehicles in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm (Germany), Györ (Hungary), Changchun (China) and Brussels (Belgium). Aurangabad in India saw the start of local production of the Audi A6 at the end of 2007 and of the Audi A4 in early October 2008. The company is active in more than 100 markets worldwide. AUDI AG's wholly owned subsidiaries include Automobili Lamborghini Holding S.p.A. in Sant'Agata Bolognese (Italy) and quattro GmbH in Neckarsulm. Audi currently employs around 57,000 people worldwide, including 45,000 in Germany. The brand with the four rings invests more than ?2 billion each year in order to sustain the company's technological lead embodied in its "Vorsprung durch Technik" slogan. Audi plans to significantly increase the number of models in its portfolio by 2015 to 40. The Audi brand celebrates its 100th birthday in 2009. The company was founded by August Horch in Zwickau on July 16, 1909; he named it Audi after the Latin translation of his surname ("hark!").

The Audi model range in India comprising the new Audi A6, Audi A4, Audi A8, Audi Q7, Audi TT, Audi R8 and the soon to be launched performance SUV Audi Q5 is available in India at present in twelve exclusive dealerships across the country:

Audi Ahmedabad - Rudra-Path, S.G. Road, Ahmedabad

Audi Bangalore - Survey No. 6/1, Beratana Agrahara, 15th KM, Hosur Main Road

Audi Chandigarh - Plot No. 171, Industrial Area, Phase I

Audi Delhi - B -1/H 1, Mohan Co-operative Industrial Estate, Mathura Road

Audi Gurgaon - Orchid Centre, Sector - 54, Golf Course Road

Audi Hyderabad - 8-2-684/A, Road No.12, Banjara Hills

Audi Pune - Pro1 Business Centre, Plot No. 395 + 396, Senapati Bapat Road, Shivajinagar

Audi Mumbai - 81, Dr. Annie Besant Road

Audi Kochi - NH. 47, Vytilla Aroor, Bye Pass Road, Marudu P.O.

Authorized Dealer Sales Office:

Audi Chennai

Audi Kolkata

Audi Ludhiana

CONTACT DETAILS
Bettina Bernhardt, General Manager, Audi India Press Communications, +91 (22) 20547210, bettina.bernhardt@audi.de
Gaurav Sinha, Manager, Audi India Press Communications, +91 (124) 4711813, gaurav.sinha@audi.in
Abhishek Mahapatra, Comma Consulting, +91 (11) 46003200 / +91 9811667727, amahapatra@comma.in
Sandeep Fernandes, Comma Consulting, +91 (22) 40562500 / +91 9819266551, sfernandes@comma.in

Probe into community clash deaths

2009-05-19T11:58:00.000+05:30

Atleast 5 Muslim people have died during a communal violence that striked in the Cheriyathura-Beemapally coastal region near Thiruvananthapuram district on Saturday.

The incident occured while police trying to control the clashes between the local people and started firing at the violent mob. Curfew has been ordered and paramilitary forces are put in place to tacle with the situation.

A judicial probe has been ordered to investigate on the incident and compensation also announced to the victim kins by the State government.
--MP

Clean sweep for UDF

2009-05-16T20:00:00.001+05:30

Its clean sweep for UDF in Kerala which has won 16 of the 20 LS seats in Kerala. Congress got 13 seats while its allies IUML won 2 seats and Keralal Congress won one seat.

While CPI(M) manged to get 4 seats at Palakkad, Alathur, Kasargode and Attingal, the CPI had the biggest setback losing all of the 4 seats it contested.

Prominent winning candidates include Sashi Tharoor( Cong), E Ahmed(IUML).
--MP

Final poll results by noon

2009-05-15T17:42:00.001+05:30

With few hours left for the counting of votes, all arrangements are set in place in Kerala where results for the 20 LS seats will be announced on Saturday.

Counting will begin at 8am and the final phase of results will be announced by noon. THe state has 35 counting centers spread across various constituencies.

High security arrangements are made at each counting center for monitoring the activites and to ensure peaceful counting of votes.
--MP

Mansoon likely to be early: IMD

2009-05-14T18:15:00.001+05:30

The southwest monsoon this year is likely to reach the Kerala coast
earlier than June 1st.

According to the India Meteorological Department(IMD) mansoon will hit
Kerala on May 26th. IMD has also forecasted the rainfall to be near to
normal.

Rains are expected to onset over Bay of Bangal and Andaman sea region
over the next week heralding the onset of mansoon.
--MP

Jet Airways special offer for tourists

2009-05-12T23:07:00.001+05:30

Private airliner Jet Airways has come up with a special programme to boost tourist arrivals to Kerala. The airline's special offer is a joint initiative with the Kerala tourism industry to promote tourism in the State with reduced air fares.

The new scheme exclusively launched for the tourists is expected to raise the tourist arrivals to the State which has otherwise witnessed a drop due to high fares during the off season. --MP

Relief for Joseph

2009-05-12T07:54:00.001+05:30

Former LDF Minister P J Joseph who was accused on charges for misbehaving with a lady passenger on a Chennai flight has been acquitted of charges against him.

A Tamilnadu court has dismissed the case saying that it lacked proper evidences and witnesses to support the claim lodged by the defendent.

Welcoming the court verdict, Mons Joseph who currently holding the PWD Ministers' post maintained that he was ready to resign from the post to make way for the senior leader to return to the cabinet. P J Joseph has earlier stepped down from his post in 2006 folowing the alleged scandal.

--MP