Improvement of basic infrastructure can turn Kasargod into a tourism hotspot'

[email protected] (CD Network)
June 9, 2012
bekal
Kasargod, June 9: The Kasargod district, with its picturesque hills and vast stretch of costal belt, could be turned into a tourism hotspot, opined Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President Ramesh Chennithala.

Inaugurating a development seminar hosted by the District Congress Committee at the municipal conference hall here on Friday, he said Northern Kerala has immense potential to emerge as an investment friendly region, if basic infrastructure is improved.

However, the district remained backward because of the authorities' failure in implementing the sanctioned schemes, he lamented. “The attitude needs to be changed. A sizeable number of people migrate to other States or abroad to get gainful employment,” he said.

Referring to the Central University of Kerala (CUK) coming up at Periye in the district, he said Union Human Resources Development Minister Kapil Sibal had agreed to lay the foundation stone of the institution on July 21.

He said he would recommend setting up of a mobile Triveni outlet in Kasaragod Assembly segment so that essential goods would be available at affordable prices. Similar arrangements would be extended to other four Assembly segments in the district.

The KPCC president said a draft report compiled from the day-long seminar would be handed over to the P. Prabhakaran Commission, appointed by the government to study the development requirements of the district.

DCC president K. Velunthambu presided over the function which was attended by N.A. Nellikunnu and P.B. Abdul Razak, MLAs from Kasaragod and Manjeshwaram.

KPCC executive members P. Gangadharan Nair, M.C. Jose, C. K. Sreedharan, and M. Narayanan Kutty also addressed the function.

“Bid to scuttle probe”


Later, Speaking to media persons on the sidelines of the programme, Mr Chennithala accused the Communist Party of India-Marxist of diverting the ongoing police inquiry into the murder of Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) leader T.P. Chandrasekharan.

He asked the party whether it was prepared to denounce its politics of violence in the wake of the revelations that pointed an accusing finger at the role of the CPI(M) in the murder case.

“The CPI(M) appears to be nervous about the outcome of the ongoing probe into the RMP leader's murder,” he said, alleging that the party was trying to scuttle the probe by threatening police officials and media persons.

To a query on the move to shift crucial institutions coming under the Central University of Kerala (CUK) to elsewhere in the State, he said such reports were baseless.

He said the medical college proposed under the CUK would be set up in Kasaragod, where hundreds were suffering from mysterious diseases attributed to endosulfan pesticide sprayed on the Plantation Corporation of Kerala's cashew estates.

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News Network
May 3,2020

Dubai, May 3: Over 150,000 Indians in the UAE, who wish to return home amid the coronavirus lockdown, have applied through the online registration process to the Indian missions here, according to media reports.

The Indian missions in the country last week opened online registration for the expatriates who wish to fly back home after getting stuck in the country amidst the lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

As of 6 pm on Saturday, we received more than 150,000 registrations, Consul General of India in Dubai Vipul told the Gulf News on Saturday.

A quarter of them want to return to their homeland after losing their jobs, he said.

According to a report in the Khaleej Times on Sunday, about 40 per cent of the applicants who have registered are blue-collared workers and 20 per cent are working professionals.

"Roughly 20 per cent have suffered job losses and about 55 per cent of the total applicants are from Kerala," Neeraj Aggarwal, Consul, Press, Information, Culture was quoted as saying in the report.

Aggarwal said that the figures would change as they are expecting registrations from workers from other states, including Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.

About 10 per cent of the applicants are visit and tourist visa holders who got stranded here due to the ongoing lockdown in India.

India extended the ongoing lockdown by two weeks from May 4 to contain the spread of the coronavirus that has affected nearly 40,000 people in the country.

Aggarwal said that a small number of the applications constitute those from pregnant women and other medical cases.

Since the online registration process was launched, the Consulate's website crashed several times due to the heavy rush of applicants wishing to register to fly back home.

The site has been working fine now though it took a lot of time for it to stabilise in the initial phase due to the heavy traffic, the counsel general said.

He said that the missions here have not yet received any information from the Indian government about the mode of transport of the stranded citizens, the prices of the tickets or how the COVID-19 test results of applicants would be assessed for their journey.

There are high-level discussions going on regarding these things, he said in the report.

Meanwhile, Norka (The Non Resident Keralites Affairs) said it has received a total of 398,000 applications from Keralites across the globe who wish to return home.

"Of which, the highest numbers are from the UAE. At least 175,423 applicants have signed up from the UAE," Norka said in an official statement on Saturday.

It also received 54,305 registrations from Saudi Arabia, 2,437 from the UK, 2,255 from the US, and 1,958 from Ukraine from those who wish to return to India, the Khaleej Times reported.

The coronavirus has infected 13,599 people and claimed 119 lives in the UAE, the Ministry of Health and Prevention said on Saturday.

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News Network
July 5,2020

Bengaluru, Jul 5: Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has asked officials to ensure that all necessary arrangements for COVID-19 patients must be carried out efficiently and transparently, Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar said.

"Karnataka is in a better position due to the efforts and hard work of ministers, doctors, officials and all staff. The cases have increased in Bengaluru and some other districts in last few days due to various reasons. We all have to work hard and contain the spread of virus," Dr Sudhakar told media on Saturday.

"Responsibilities related to policy formulation, preparation of guidelines, communication to media and management of war room have been assigned to me. Deputy Chief Minister Ashwath Narayan has been given the responsibility of managing COVID-19 care centres and Revenue Minister R Ashoka and Chief Minister's political secretary Vishvanath have been given the responsibility of managing private hospitals. The Chief Minister has instructed all of us to work in synergy," he said.

Dr Sudhakar said the matter of imposing lockdown in the state again was discussed in the task force meeting. "I and Deputy Chief Minister suggested that lockdown is not necessary at this stage. The Chief Minister will take a decision on this matter," he added.

Home Minister Basavar Bommai, Health Minister B Sriramulu, Revenue Minister R Ashoka and senior officials were present in the task force meeting.

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News Network
July 30,2020

Bengaluru, Jul 30: As the protest by Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers entered the 20th day, Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu on Wednesday assured them that he would take up their demands with Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa.

The ASHA workers are sitting in protests with a number of demands that include a minimum salary of Rs 12,000 per month.

Assuring that their matter will be taken up, Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu said while speaking to reporters, "We know how hard ASHA workers have been working as frontline warriors in the fight against COVID-19. I will discuss with CM about their demand for a minimum wage of Rs 12,000 per month and the final decision will be taken soon."

"We went to the police to allow us to protest. Officials then took us to the CM. During the meeting, he demanded some time to sort out our issues. 

We told him we are protesting for the past 20 days and that it was he who needs to call a meeting with us. Only then will he know the problems being faced by ASHA workers," an ASHA worker said clad in her signature pink sari.

"When asked as to why salaries of ASHA workers were not hiked, while it was done for doctors and other healthcare officials, the CM requested for time to look into the matter. 

We are not much happy now, but will if he comes in front of the media and promises to sort out our issues, then we will listen to him", she added.

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