The KochiNow Blog

Rohini Mariam Idicula KOCHI: Young, charming women armed with the gift of the gab and are modern, yet uphold traditional Kerala values, can try their luck at this year’s Miss Kerala pageant.

The pageant will be held on July 11, in Kochi.
The event was announced by the reigning Miss Kerala, Rohini Mariam Idicula, and Ram Menon, director of Impresario event managers, by unveiling its logo.

“Those who mirror the image of the modern Kerala woman — assertive and ambitious, but who uphold traditional values, stand the best chance to win the title and the sub-titles,” Mr Menon said.

This year, the International Education Council would give a Rs 2-lakh scholarship to the winner of the pageant that has been sponsored by the ITC-owned Vivel brand. Young women aged 16 to 24, with a minimum height of 5.2” can apply, before June 25. A profile, with a recent photograph must be sent to misskerala@misskerala.net.

Ms Idicula, a law graduate, spoke of how the grooming sessions and the title changed her life.

“It was not very easy though — ‘for uneasy lies the head that wears the crown’. It helped me learn more about nourishing inner and outer beauty, apart from conducting myself better in society. The urge to address problems of children and youth grew in me. I took the lead in organising five camps aimed at boosting the self-confidence of youth,” she said.

The Hindu

By K Kunhikrishnan

Cochin, described as the Queen of the Arabian Sea, was an important trading centre. Travellers and tradesmen of ancient times make copious reference to Cochin. Successive waves of migration over thousands of years made Cochin a cultural melting pot, a cosmopolitan city and a great trading centre.

The first European settlement in India was at Fort Cochin by the Portuguese, followed by the Dutch and finally the British. It was during the British rule, in 1857 (when the rest of the country was convulsed by the uprising against their rule), that three like–minded British businessmen set up the Cochin Chamber of Commerce to safeguard their trading and commercial interests.

It grew into a vibrant institution and later got involved in issues that had a bearing on national economic policy, as revealed in the commemorative volume of the Cochin Chamber of Commerce and Industry, A Journey Through Time — 1857-2007.

Compiled and edited by P Sethuram, M K Das and V N Venugopal, the book is in three parts. The first traces the history of the Chamber and the history and development of trade in Cochin. In the early days the role of the Chamber was mostly concerned with cargo export and import from the harbour. The history of the Chamber was entwined with that of the harbour. Legitimate business interests were the guiding principles of the Chamber, which became a member of the Madras Chamber of Commerce in 1920.

Since independence, the Chamber has been mainly interested in the principal export trade of the region like cashew, spices, marine products etc. and the plantation industry and in the common welfare of Cochin as an economic centre. Many stalwarts occupied positions of importance in transforming the Chamber into a dynamic forward-looking voluntary organisation. Each milestone of growth has been captured in the volume. The most informative part of the volume is the one dealing with Kerala’s economic history. which is unique. The welcome given to foreign traders was more an act of potential business, besides possible political and military help (p 158), thus negating the catholicism of the then rulers of Kerala.

It was the reciprocity of interests that got the better of any other consideration. The spinoff was cultural symbiosis. Though encomiums are paid in full to social development and land reforms, the moot point is whether the state has enhanced the productive sectors of the economy. The profile of trade unions and their godfathers spoiled the image of the state, which is still a land of hartals. The industrial policies were so heavily tilted in favour of labour that investors were apprehensive of a raw deal (190). Fiscal deficit is on the increase. Non-resident Keralites who work abroad are 1. 84 million and major numbers have moved only because of the lack of employment in the state. “Kerala crawls like the proverbial tortoise while the rest of the states run like the proverbial hare,” observes the author while analysing its problems with development policies. The maladies and stagnation of Kerala’s development have been analysed with a fine toothcomb, with deep insight and perception.

Kerala’s cultural heritage forms the final part of the volume. The resurgence of artistic forms during the last decade and the establishment of many institutions to promote them are positive factors. The literary history of Malayalam has been summed up and the names of legendary personalities mentioned. There are descriptions of the many art forms practised in various parts of Kerala. The social milieu deals with the caste and religion. The cultural tapestry chapter should have been part of the art forms. Among the illustrations, the colour photograph on theyyam is described as thira! The absence of an index is conspicuous in the otherwise laudable volume.

Kunhikrishnan is a former deputy director general of Doordarshan.
e-mail: kkunhikrishnan@gmail.com
The New Indian Express

ONE OF the biggest industries of India – tourism industry – has been badly affected by the ongoing chaos in the desert state of Rajasthan and north-eastern hilly district of Darjeeling. Usually in the summer months of May and June tourists from India and foreign countries visit the hill stations Himachal Pradesh and Darjeeling to get a welcome break from scorching heat of the plains. Situated thousands of feet above the sea level the hill stations of Himachal and Darjeeling take visitors close to mother nature. But, this year a major drop has been recorded in the number of tourists visiting Shimla, Kullu, Manali and Dharamsala. According to reports over 20 per cent of hotels and travel agencies in Himachal Pradesh are reeling under losses.

Despite the restlessness in Rajasthan and Darjeeling here is a good news for Indian tourism industry as monsoon season is calling the tourist from across the globe. In fact, people in many regions of the country have experienced the rainfall well in advance and got some relief from scorching heat of summer. Though the monsoon brings excessive rains and badly hit the normal life, but it has special significance for Indian tourism industry. Each year tourists from various parts of the world throng some special regions of India. God’s own country – Kerala – is one such place, which beckons tourists in the monsoon season for a wonderful vacation.

Backwaters, beaches, hills, wildlife etc are some of the popular attractions of Kerala. Here in Kerala tourists can refresh themselves in the invigorating and intoxicating monsoon reason. Besides, the houseboat trip across the tranquil backwaters add more to the experience of the tourists.

If you want to experience monsoon at its best, then combine the Ayurveda treatment in your itinerary. Also called the ‘Oushada mausam’ or medicinal season, monsoon is the time when people visit Kerala for their rejuvenation treatments. Kerala’s pleasant climate, abundance of forests especially herbal and medicinal plants makes it an ideal destination for Ayurveda treatment. Ayurveda in the monsoon is the finest way to refresh and rejuvenate your body and soul. In fact, Ayurveda practitioners say that monsoon season is the best time to undertake Ayurveda treatment as the body become most receptive to the therapeutic and restorative powers of herbs and oils.
Kerala is only place in the world where Ayurveda, the thousands year-old healthcare system is practiced with much dedication.

Ayurveda centres and resorts in Kerala offer the ayurveda treatment under the guidance of the expert doctors. Two types of Ayurvedic programmes are offered by Ayurveda centres namely rejuvenative and therapeutic. After a methodical evaluation, the doctors suggest individual programmes for each person.

During monsoon season tours operating in Kerala offer the especially customised ‘Monsoon Holiday Packages’ that cover all important destinations of the state. Most of the monsoon packages are customised keeping in mind the requirement of both the domestic and foreign tourists. If you want to experience the real charm of monsoon season then head towards god’s own country – Kerala. Surely you will find a rare chance of experiencing nature closely and return home with some lifelong memories.

For last few years ‘monsoon tourism’ has emerged as a new theme of tourism in India and it draws large number of tourists from across the globe. Monsoon has already knocked the door in Kerala and other parts of the country as well, which is good signal from the tourism point of view. Hopefully like previous years, this year too monsoon will attract global trotters to India. Besides, Indian tourism industry may also make up the loss due to chaos in north and north-eastern parts of the country.
Merinews.com

TajSATS to set up 15 kitchens at Rs 400 cr
14 Jun, 2008, 0007 hrs IST,Shruti Jain Ambavat, ET Bureau

MUMBAI: TajSATS, a leading air catering service company, has embarked on an expansion plan to set up 15 kitchens in five years. The joint venture between Indian Hotels Company and Singapore Airport Terminal Services will pump in close to Rs 400 crore to finance the entire exercise.

Sunil Taneja, Marketing and Business Development director, TajSATS, said the decision followed the recent spurt in air catering business. “The air catering business grew 20% last year, riding on a 30% growth in passenger traffic,” he said.

The company has recently set up kitchens in Goa, Bangalore and Amritsar. It may be looking at tier II cities like Nagpur, Guwahati, Cochin, Amritsar, Calicut and Pune where the existing airports are being upgraded. TajSATS generates revenues of around Rs 300 crore, which is nearly half of the total industry’s figures. Other players in this space include Oberoi, Ambassador and Skygourmet.

Mr Taneja said the expansion plan will be funded internally. “We know that the margin is under pressure, but our overall business is expanding in India. We think that we will be the first choice if we have operations in tier II cities,” he added.
Economictimes.indiatimes.com

Kerala is blessed with a high density of science and technology personnel in India and has a low employee attrition rate in the country (less than 5%).

There are lot of IT parks coming up in Cochin. With the advent of Major IT parks like, Techno Park, Smart city, L&T, Muthoot, Leela Info Park, Kerala is to be the epicentre of the next IT boom.

BlueLabs Technology Solution is a leading supplier of high quality software development services, specialising in enterprise application development, system integration and business automation tools. Located at the Leela Infopark, they give access to professional solutions and expertise to the high standards required in international business. They follow high-end operations procedures to provide both intricate and simple software development services to a wide range of companies; with everybody receiving the same high level of professional service and having extensive experience in scientific, telecoms (VOIP), financial and process automation environments.

“We aim to make working at BlueLabs as rewarding and enjoyable an experience as possible. For our colleagues this means providing the benefits, rewards and recognition that makes BlueLabs such an amazing place to work. For our customers, it means an enjoyable experience, with friendly attentive colleagues, low prices and great services”, says Mr. Mathews Jose, CEO, BlueLabs Technology Solution. Mr Jose who has just returned after attending CeBIT Australia added, “CeBIT lives up to the hype. It was an amazing experience at the CeBIT Australia. We had a great opportunity to put our organization in limelight. The business opportunities and brand exposure gained over the course of the event has been outstanding”.

A technology driven company based out of UAE and having partner based in Sweden, they plan to have 250-300 employees by 2009 and around 1000 employees by 2011. They also have plans to set up a large office in Info Park and to come up with their own campus in Cochin

. “We’re preparing for the future, examining every aspect of our business, from employing as many local people to recycling and use of less energy and reduction in our carbon footprint. Take a look at the people who work at BlueLabs and you’ll notice, they all have one thing in common - we smile a lot. Not every minute of every day of course, but lots more than people in other companies. This is because we’re an extraordinarily good company to work for”, Mr. Jose feels.
Express Computer Online

Revealing the informal

The informal sector in Kerala is regulated by bureaucratic high-handedness. Various flaws exist in licensing of occupations like, auto-rickshaw driving, slaughtering, cobbling etc. Ironically, this state is pro-poor and is known for trade unionism..
THE LAST time I was in Cochin, I didn’t pay much attention to the auto-rickshaws plying on the city’s busy streets. They were just my sole means of conveyance. But on my next trip, I will. And you wonder why such a change in attitude! All credit goes to the law, liberty and livelihood project, a study conducted by think-tanks of the centre for public policy research (CPPR) and the centre for civil society (CCS).

The study, which was aimed at documenting the livelihood regulations and entry level barriers in the informal sector, was conducted in 63 cities across India with the help of young interns.

In Cochin, it was coordinated by the CPPR staffer Caroline C. The purpose aimed at unveiling the laws applicable to entry-level professions like cycle-rickshaw pullers, mobile and stationery street vendors and to document them with the effort to create public attention to issues faced by them. The study is funded by the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT), Mumbai.

There, the licencing of trades is regulated by the Corporation of Cochin under the purview of the Kerala municipalities Act and Rules 1994. The Corporation issues two types of licences; namely, dangerous and offensive trade licences, and prevention of food adulteration licence.

The fees for the same are fixed by the council. On a general platform, any one wishing to carry a trade on Cochin’s streets has to obtain prior permission from the municipality/corporation as per the Act and the trade must be registered 30 days before its commencement.

The same general application form is used for all trades, except an additional one for the prevention of food adulteration Act 1954 (PFA) for food trades. The following documents are required for a licence: Receipt of the building tax and an ownership certificate (proof of legal occupancy). If the shop is in rented premises, the applicant will have to submit a consent letter from the owner.

After the assessment of the application form, the concerned authorities will inspect the premises and if deemed fit, the licence is granted. The licence has to be renewed 30 days before the end of the financial year (March 31), after which a fine is imposed for late renewal.

An interesting fact was brought to light through the study: Small food courts, mobile vegetable vendors and cobblers in Cochin are not issued licences and the corporation considers them illegal.

The municipal secretaries and health officers are the concerned authority on health issues and food inspectors from the urban local bodies, on government notifications, collect samples of all food meant for sale and send them to Government Analysts. If any article is found adulterated, the persons concerned are prosecuted and fined under the provisions of the PFA.

And, in case, you happen to be a late eater, it’s wise that you grab your manna (eatables) early as it is mandatory that all shops close at 10pm. In the case of slaughter houses, the Corporation directly owns them and private ownership is not permitted. Nevertheless, tenders are invited from the general public to run them and butchering licences are issued for the same. No other person can slaughter any cattle, sheep, goat or pig for sale as food.

Moreover, no person is allowed to carry on the trade of a butcher, fishmonger or poulterer without a licence from the municipality. Cleanliness and health precautions are one of the main priorities of the corporation.

According to a tender issued, the slaughter rooms have to be cleaned at least twice a day. Each animal has to be certified by a veterinary surgeon or health officer, only after which it can be slaughtered.

Other than this, several other directions are issued by the Corporation for the smooth running of slaughterhouses. One such is the rule that large amounts of fresh water should be kept at the slaughter house at all times and that lungs and other animal wastes have to be disposed off within hours of the slaughtering.

Injured individuals, drunks, and persons having communicable diseases are not allowed in the slaughterhouse and, interestingly, if a dog is found in the premises, the owner is free to kill it without prior notice. The slaughterhouse can function only from 10am to 12am.

For auto-rickshaws, there are two types of permits: Regular city permits and prepaid city permits. Currently, the regional transport office (RTO), Cochin, which is the regulatory board, is not issuing the former, but only issues prepaid permits and renews those already given. The regional transport board has fixed a quota of rupees 3,600 for city permits.

Although, this was done to avoid overcrowding, it is actually causing a shortage of auto-rickshaws in the area. It, nevertheless, allows out-of-city permits in accordance with the provisions of sections 69, 73 and 80 of the motor vehicle Act of 1988.

To drive an auto-rickshaw, a person must submit an application form and submit the following requisites: Proofs of owned vehicle in the name of the applicant and address.. The applicant should be a permanent resident of the Cochin Corporation area. The issued permits allow the driver to take passengers only from areas within the permit and anyone found driving in the city without a permit will be fined a minimum of rupees 500.

As studies reveal, over 90 per cent of India’s work force earns its livelihood in the informal sector, which accounts for 63 per cent of the country’s GDP. As citizens of India, it’s high time we knew how things function in our country.

Gone are the days of oblivion and ignorance. Keeping this in mind, the project aimed at informing the public about the functioning of these trades and related aspects. With available documents relating to legal and governing factors, and with, the power of the Right to Information Act (RTI), the interns dug out details that would otherwise have been not known.
Merinews.com Power to the people

GREEN DRIVE: Forest Minister Benoy Viswom (in the background) applauds as Simon Britto, MLA, plants a sapling at Maharaja’s College on Monday as part of the college’s tree planting project for the city.

Green cover project for city
The idea is to have a green cover for Kochi. As the construction boom is turning the city into a multi-storeyed concrete jungle, the drive for tree canopies becomes more important. A project with such an aim took shape in the Nature Club of the Maharaja’s College and it began with a sapling being planted by Simon Britto, MLA, who had provided funds for the same.

The Minister for Forests, Binoy Vishwom, formally launched the project. The most effective way to clean the air of carbon dioxide is to have more trees. And the Department of Forests has been promoting a string of projects under the Social Forestry scheme.

On Environment Day, taking to the streets on cycles with a message of carbon-free transportation were representatives of Green Doctors — a youth forum of the Swadeshi Science Movement. A. Jayakumar, national organising secretary of Vijnana Bharathi, flagged off the rally from the High Court junction.

About 40 youngsters cycled around the city with an aim to spread the message of environment-friendly practices in daily life. Unfortunately, there were hardly any people on the road to witness the campaign, due to the hartal.

Some of the corporates, however, organised Environment Day a day later. The Recreation Club of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. organised a programme at which the principal general manager, Charlie Mathew, planted a sapling on the occasion. Thereafter, a lecture was held on the State government’s Clean Kerala Mission. The District Mission Coordinator, N. Vinodini, spoke on the topic.

Shyama Rajagopal

The Hindu

Earthrace powers on
Having successfully completed massive repairs, the world’s fastest eco-boat Earthrace has departed from Singapore to Cochin, India to complete its attempt to break the world record for circumnavigating the globe in a powerboat.

Earthrace, a 24m tri-hull wavepiercer that operates on biofuel, is still more than 1,550 miles ahead of the world record pace, set by the British Cable and Wireless team in 1998, despite the delays for repairs.

A number of companies, such as POSH SEMCO, Assetton and its project sponsor J B Global, stepped forward to provide Earthrace with support for expedient repairs for damages sustained in Palau, which were carried out in three days.

Skipper Pete Bethune said: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the generosity we’ve received in Singapore. After the accident in Palau we began to doubt whether we still had a shot at the world record, but now the boat is back in top shape and weather conditions for the leg to Cochin are great.”

Mr Bethune said the attempt was to show the world the potential for sustainable fuels and if the voyage proceeds as planned, Earthrace would be able to finish the trip 17 days ahead of the world record.

The boat’s up-to-date progress can be viewed via the live satellite tracker at www.earthrace.net.

Transport and Logistics News

Photo Inspire India Urban and Regional Projects
Kerala - Kochi

Civic body told to go in for credit rating

Staff Reporter

In a bid to raise funds by tapping markets

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Kochi Corporation has a triple B Minus rating

‘Rating can be improved with reforms’

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KOCHI: The Corporation of Cochin which is facing a severe fund crunch in implementing its infrastructure projects could soon take the credit rating route to raise funds from the public.

Union Urban Development Secretary M. Ramachandran said here on Monday that Kochi, which is now ranked somewhere in the middle category in credit rating with a triple B Minus rating, could improve its standing with performance on the reforms front. This can lead to a stage at which the Corporation would be able to go to the market to raise funds for its projects. The Kozhikode Corporation had raised money by issuing bonds way back in 1969, pointed out Mr. Ramachandran.

If Kozhikode could do it in 1969, Kochi can do it now, he said as he pointed to more recent examples of urban bodies in several parts of the country tapping the market to raise funds for their projects using their rating. The official said that the Union Urban Development Ministry had started preparations for a meeting of the Prime Minister with Chief Ministers later this year on issues related urbanisation.

The meeting would address concerns of various States and review of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), said the official.

He said that issues such as cost escalation, a major problem facing projects that have reached the implementation stage, would be addressed. The JNNURM programme had been envisaged to ensure participation from the local bodies and the State governments, said Mr. Ramachandran. He pointed out that had it not been for the JNNURM, several new projects would not have taken shape.

Mr. Ramachandran was speaking to reporters after he addressed a special meeting of the Kochi Corporation Council on the role of local bodies in implementing JNNURM. During the interaction, councillors raised the issue of escalating costs, problems related to land acquisition, etc. which were hurdles to implementing some of the JNNURM projects.
The Hindu

Kerala - Kochi

Ineptitude of civic agencies causing traffic snarls

Staff Reporter

Widening of North, South bridges remains a far cry

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Demand to relocate bus stops, auto stands away from busy junctions

Many medians do not have proper reflectors, street lights, leading to accidents

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KOCHI: Lack of coordination between civic agencies and the traffic police to ensure smooth flow of traffic in the city during the monsoons has made commuting a nightmarish experience.

The reopening of schools and colleges has made things worse, with vehicles jostling for space in congested roads. The delay by the PWD and the Kochi Corporation in widening the North and South overbridges; the Greater Cochin Development Authority’s inability to relay the badly damaged Kaloor-Kadavanthra Road and the apathy of the Railways in building a 25-metre portion connecting the approach spans of the Pullepady overbridge have seriously affected traffic flow and eroded the credibility of these agencies.

On its part, the National Highways Authority of India has not even initiated the preliminary works to build flyovers at Palarivattom, Edappally, Kundanoor and Vytilla, despite motorists having to wait for around half an hour to cross these junctions during peak hours. The completion of these road, bridge and flyover projects would have eased traffic congestion in the city.

Police initiative

With the Corporation, PWD and the NHAI which are flush with funds not installing sign boards, bus bays and electronic signal systems, the traffic police began putting them up with the help of sponsors. Then came opposition from the Corporation, on the ground that it has the sole right to permit sponsors to display their advertisements.

A police officer termed this as dog-in-the-manger attitude. Motorists are not always happy with the traffic reforms being tried out by the police. The barricades put up at the western side of the South overbridge to prevent vehicles from side roads from entering the bridge, has come up for criticism. The police have been unable to prevail on civic agencies to relocate bus stops and auto stands away from junctions.

The fall in visibility because of the monsoons has also led to vehicles ramming into unlit medians at night. The Corporation has not cleared the slush that its workers dug out from drains, causing inconvenience to pedestrians.

The Hindu