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Foundation stone of rs 17 bn smart city project today
Friday, 16 November, 2007
AJ: Foundation stone of the rs 17 billion JV Smart City project between the state government and Dubai-based TECOM Investments, will be laid at nearby Kakkanad today. Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan and TECOM Executive Chairman Ahmad Bin Byat, will be jointly laying the foundation stone of the project covering 8.8 million square feet built up space in the area.This will be one of the biggest IT infrastructure projects in the country when completed.
The project would create infrastructure and environment for the knowledge based industry- IT, Communciation and Entertainment based on the successful models of Dubai Internet City and Dubai Media City and is expected to create 90,000 job opportunities in the coming 10 years. A total of 246 acres of land has been acquired by the government to lease it to TECOM for 99 years. Land acquisition proceedings had run into rough weather on occasions following protests over inadequate compensation package. The land lease agreement between TECOM Executive Director Abdul Rehaman and IT Secretary, Dr Ajay Kumar, was signed at Infopark yesterday. Labels: Kochi
Cochin Port to become an e-port
Saturday, 27 October, 2007
Kochi, Oct 27 (ANI): The Cochin Port Trust (CPT) has embarked on a comprehensive Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementation programme to be christened as 'E-Thuramukham'.
N Ramachandran, the Chairman of the CPT, recently launched 'E-Thuramukham' at a function that was attended by trade union representatives and employees.
"By implementation of E-Thuramukham, Cochin will become the first major port in India to work on a fully integrated computerised system," said Ramachandran.
The project based on SAP platform is customized for the Cochin Port Trust by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and will be completed in of ten months, he added.
This programme is to implement a fully Integrated Port Information System (iPINS) using a SAP – based ERP which will help the Port to improve its business processes and work practices, its operations, management and service.
In view of the business imperatives, international trade compulsions, the port has decided to go in for a total and integrated IT solution.
The port is integrating its operational, financial, estate and human resource systems through this project, this will have real time interface with customs, port users, banks and the port community system of the Indian Ports Association.
The system will provide single window facility to the trade for filing applications, receiving service bills, payments and enquiries.
The port is using satellite-imaging system for monitoring the geographical aspects of the port and E-Thuramukham will meet the expectations of global standards of service to the shipping and export and import community.
Famous as an all-weather natural port, it is located strategically close to the busiest international sea routes from the Gulf to Singapore and Europe to the Far East circuits.
During 2006-07, Cochin Port handled an all time high throughput of 15.31 million MTs of cargo, registering an increase of 10.28 per cent over the previous year (throughput during 2005-06 was - 13.88 million MTs).
Container traffic during the period was 2,26,808 TEUs as against 2,03,112 TEUs handled during 2005-06 marked a growth of 11.82 per cent.
This year altogether 38 cruise ships visited the Port bringing over 16,000 passengers. Cochin has had the distinction of hosting the largest number of cruise ships among all Indian Ports. (ANI) Labels: Kochi, Technology
HC Accepts Plea Against Thamarasseri Diocese
Wednesday, 24 October, 2007
Kochi: The Kerala High Court today accepted the plea of the parents of students of St Joseph's School coming under the Thamarasseri diocese.All schools coming under the diocese were given a holiday in protest against the statement made by Pinarayi Vijayan against the former.The court has sent notices to director of general education and the diocese after accepting the plea.Labels: Kochi, Religion
Physicians Mega Conference At Kochi
Kochi: Around 8,000 delegates from across the country are expected to participate in the 63rd Annual Conference of Association of Physicians of India, APICON 2008, scheduled to be held here from January 10 to 13. This was the second time that Kerala is hosting this mammoth conference after 1980, when the membership of the Association was just 1,200, Dr N N Ashokan, its Organising Secretary, told reporters here. Quiz programmes, symposia and live workshops would form part of APICON 2008. About 10 experts from abroad are also expected to attend the conference.Labels: Health, Kochi
Kochi doctor creating video album on Tendulkar
Kochi, Oct 19 (ANI): With Sachin Tendulkar breaking into the top ten of the latest ICC ODI rankings, one of his fans is busy creating a video album as tribute to his glorious cricket career. Dr. C V Ranjit, a dentist in Kerala’s Kannur District, has composed and sung in 20 different Indian languages including Arabic and English. He says that it has taken him about six months to complete the album.
“The main reason to come out in 20 different languages is to popularise and make it easy to understand among the public that Sachin has thousands of fans across India and abroad,” said Dr. Ranjit. The twenty languages used are Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Bihari, Kashmiri, Tulu, Urdu, Arabic, English, Sanskrit and Bhojpuri.
He has used the same verses in 18 different Indian languages, including Arabic and English. The album named 'Shan-e-Hindustan', meaning the pride of India, was shot at Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Kannur. The six-minute-long album also features a song on Tendulkar sung by Dr Ranjit.
It cost over 10 lakh rupees to complete the shooting and production of the video album,” he said. Dr. Ranjit claims he met Sachin and discussed the making of the album during the ODI in Kochi between India and Australia on October 2.“The response from Sachin was 'all the best',” he said.
The turnaround from doctor to musician took place almost two years back without any formal know how of music or video album making. His first video album titled is "Shalu” and Sachin’s album this is his second. He plans to release the album by December and the audio CD's will be ready by next month.
Dr. Ranjit’s dream is to hand over the first copy of the video album to Sachin, for which he will be soon meeting him. Though he is now getting more singing and composition assignments in the film industry, Dr. Ranjit says he will pursue dentistry and music side by side. (ANI)Labels: Kochi, Sports
Kerala houseboats, a major hit among IT savvy
Kochi, Oct 15 (ANI): The famous houseboats of Kerala, which have been popular with tourists from across the world, are now becoming popular among techies and employees from the corporate world. Manu George and Liji with their children are in a different world surrounded by serenity amidst backwaters, which they usually missed in Metros. "It’s really pleasant to be on a houseboat away from our daily hectic life. Its kind of a chill out with my family,” said Manu, who is from Delhi.
Now-a-days, there are many techies who come down from metros like Bangalore, Chennai and Delhi to enjoy a day out on a houseboat. The boat starts from the main jetty in the morning at 10.00 a.m. or as per the arrival time of guests and keep on cruising all day until the sun sets. It is anchored in a safe place where the tourists can enjoy fishing, eating or prepare food. Besides, techies can also be in touch with their office or relatives through internet on board while cruising.
The cost of hiring a single houseboat for a 24 hour ranges from Rs. 5000 to Rs 10,000. In Alleppey, most of the houseboats are equipped with A/C rooms, including attached bathrooms and a kitchen, apart from the services of two crew members and a chef. The number of tourists is fast increasing and keeping this in mind the houseboat operators are also lining up to provide them with maximum facilities on board including fishing, meals on board and ayurveda treatment for stress. And few of the Travel agents like Pulickattil House Boats and Tour operators are already working to create a new tour and rejuvenation package for the techies.
Tomy J. Pulikattil, a tour operator and owner of six houseboats in Alleppey, said, “The rush from Bangalore and other metros are mostly seen during the off season which in Kerala means monsoon time. The main reason being is attractive rates offered to them which is cheap and easily affordable.” Houseboats (Kettuvallams), which were used for transporting goods from one place to another, are also a major tourist attraction not only for domestic tourists but also for the foreign tourists.
Kerala backwaters are unique nature and are found nowhere else in the world. Backwaters are a network of lakes, canals and estuaries and deltas of forty-four rivers that drain into the Arabian Sea. Backwaters of Kerala are a self-supporting Eco-system teeming with aquatic life Over 900 km of this labyrinthine water world is navigable.
Tourism has emerged as a major sector in the State and provides employment to over one million people. Kerala is the fastest growing destination in the world. The World Travel and Tourism Council has predicted 11.6 per cent growth rate for Kerala's tourism sector up to the year 2013. (ANI)Labels: Kochi, Tourism
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