The Kerala Tourism Department  has plans to build 14 boat jetties along the 50-km waterway from Kochi leading to the ancient port city Muziris Heritage Site.  
Circular boat services based on different themes will soon ply between the boat jetties. The Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC) began the construction work of the jetties last week.
The government has allotted six months for the completion of five jetties under group ‘A’ and a year for the rest under group ‘B’.
“The jetties in group ‘A’ will be at North Paravoor, Kottapuram Market, …

Kochi’s state-of-the-art Airport Museum is getting ready to receive its vistors. The southern india’s first Airport Museum will be thrown open to  public in October.
Housed in a 12000-sq ft building and spread over two acres, the museum will have four exhibition halls, which will take visitors through the history of airports and Indian aviation, have replicas of the highest airports, of airports that are considered difficult for landing and of those that have the maximum features.
It will also have on display a PSLV model contributed by the Indian Space Research Organisation, …

The Kerala Government will make arrangments for testing the quality of milk brought  to the State during the Onam season from the dairies outside the State.
The Dairy Development Department would  set up the quality check facilities at the inter-state border  check posts. The department urged consumers to buy only those brands of milk that had MMPR registration.
Consumers could get in touch with the quality information centres attached to the district offices of the Dairy Development Department. Complaints could also be sent to the Joint Food Safety Commissioner (Administrative and Legal), Food …

The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) allows you to access state-provided healthcare in all European Economic Area (EEA) countries and Switzerland at a reduced cost or sometimes free of charge.  
Everyone who is resident in the UK can carry it with them when travelling in Europe. The EHIC is valid for up to five years.  But make sure it’s valid before you travel.
Applying for the card is free.  However, other, unofficial, websites may charge you if you apply through them.
Presenting the EHIC entitles you to treatment that may become necessary during your …

Arati Menon of Chelmsford County High School achieved first-rate A level results this year with a stunning 5 A stars. She has secured a place in Imperial College, London to read Medicine.
Daughter of Mr Jay Menon and Dr. Sudha Iyer,  Consultants at  Basildon and Thurrock University Hospital, Arati has always been a high flyer, being an A* student and achieving a record score in her UKCAT entrance exam. Being an all-rounder, Arati has a number of interests besides her studies, and continues to excel in all her endeavours. She first …

 
The second-phase development of  Infopark began with  a bhumi puja   Tuesday.
Ernakulum District Collector P.I. Sheikh Pareed, Infopark Chief Executive Officer Gigo Joseph, Infopark senior technical advisor K. Kurian were among those present at the function.
As part of the new phase development, the contractors have started the land-filling exercise in eight acres of the total 160 acres of land. The award for the construction of the first IT building with a built-up space of four lakh sq.ft will be awarded in a week. Tender proceedings have been completed and a contractor …

Almost six months after its commissioning, India’s first-ever International Container Transshipment Terminal at Vallarpadam, Kochi, is yet to take off as per its original plans. 
As many as 416 containers have been held up at ICTT for more than a month due to lack of feeder vessels. The delay has forced several international shipping companies to return back to Colombo port. 
 Vallarppadam terminal was originally is projected to handle an estimate of 7.75 lakh TEUs (Twenty-foot equivalent units) of containers in 2011, the 13 available Indian feeder vessels together has a capacity …

The UK-Kerala Business Forum Chairperson Virendra Sharma MP is leaving for Kerala on Monday 22nd August for a week long visit. He will hold talks with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Industries Minister Kunhalikutty regarding the proposed Investors Meet, to be held at British Parliament during October / November. 
Mr Sharma will personally invite Mr Oommen Chandy and his team to the meet.
Mr Sharma’s visit is organised by UK-Kerala business Forum and Kottayam Pravasi Federation UK. The Forum has proposed several projects to bring Kerala to the forefront with world class …

A group of Indian cricket supporters gathered outside London’s the Oval stadium on Sunday to extend their support to veteran social activist Anna Hazare’s campaign against corruption in India.
Hazare is on an indefinite hunger strike in New Delhi to press his demand for the ‘Jan Lokpal Bill’.
The supporters, who held banners that read ‘honest India, strongest India’, said that corruption is breeding in India since it got independence, and insisted that the Jan Lokpal Bill is the only tool by which corruption could be curbed.
“Basically we have gathered here to …

Mr Virendra Sharma MP (center) listening to Kerala shop owners in Croydon Thursday:pic/Kerala Link

The UK Kerala Business Forum Chairperson Virendra Sharma MP visited the riot-ravaged Wibi Stores in Croydon and re-assured its partners all supports to re-build their business. He met Mr Wilson George and Mr Binu Mathew, the traumatised owners of this Kerala shop and offered his kind words of suppport.

Croydon was one of the worst-hit areas in the recent London riots.  Many of these shops were looted and set on fire by the rioters.  Suprisingly, the UAE Exchange …

Welspun Consortium and Mundra Port and Special Economic Zone (MPSEZ), have submitted bids to be a partner in developing and operating the Vizhinjam international seaport .
Fourteen companies expressed interest in the project and 12 were selected to submit the technical and financial bids. Ahemadabad-based MPSEZ, an Adani group company, runs Mundra port, the largest private sector port in the country. Welspun, a Mumbai-based company is a consortium of Welspun Infratech, Welspun Corporation and Leighton Welspun Contractors.
The Vizhinjam International Deepwater Multipurpose Seaport is proposed to follow landlord port model, where dredging, …

Kerala’s traditional art forms and martial arts are increasingly becoming the highlights of  wedding parties being hosted by Non-Resident Indians in the state.
With the trend catching up, the event management companies that are  engaged in organising up-market wedding parties have included  the traditional art forms in their package; and it is becoming a big hit, industry sources said.
The Non-Resident Indians see  marriages of their family members as an opportunity to showcase the culture of their homeland before guests from other countries. And, their foreign guests really enjoy such items, said …

The Episcopal consecration of the three new Rambans of the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar was held at the SC Seminary High School grounds in Thiruvalla.
Rev. Varghese Mathai, Rev.K.V. Varkey and Rev Oommen George were consecrated as the new Rambans of the Church at a specially organized function at the Seminary School ground Saturday
Joseph Mar Thoma Metropolitan, head of the Mar Thoma Church, was the chief celebrant of the consecration service held at a specially prepared sanctuary (Madbaha).
The three Bishop-designates were escorted to the programme venue in a customary …

Snake boat Devas Chundan, powered by oarsmen of Jesus Boat Club, sailed away with this year’s coveted silver trophy in the annual Nehru Trophy Boat Race, India’s biggest water regatta  held at Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha.
Devas humbled Karichal Chundan of Freedom Boat Club and Muttel Kainakari of United Boat Club in a mesmerising photo finish  amid the cheers of  hundreds, including a large number of foreign tourists.
 Over 4,000 oarsmen put on display their rowing skills in the event in which competitions were also held for different types of smaller craft. …

 The annual chariot festival at the London Sri Murgan Temple was held with traditional gaiety and fervour.
Hundreds of devotees joined the procession that started from the temple premises at the Church Road in East Ham at 8am. The devotees, who observed special vrutam (mandatory physical and mental discipline that makes eligible for one to pull the sacred chariot) pulled the chariot for more than five hours before the procession concluded at the temple around 1pm.
As the procession proceeded with the accompaniments of traditional processions, Indian families greeted the chariot carrying …

 
Newham Mayor Sir Robin Wales has announced a tough package of measures designed to punish anyone involved in this week’s unrest.
“What we’ve seen taking place in Newham and elsewhere across the country is completely unacceptable. There is no excuse and there must be no repeat of scenes we all saw on our television screens”, Sir Robin said here Friday. 
Thankfully our borough was not as badly affected as others in London and elsewhere, because of the strength of togetherness and cohesion in our community. Nevertheless, he said, he was committed to …

The astrologers have warned against opening ‘Vault B’ of Sree Padmanabha Temple, where priceless treasures are believed to have been stored for centuries.
After conducting a four-day devaprasnam, a ritual to be held by eminent astrologers to know the will of the presiding deity ahead of an administrative decision in a temple, the  astrologers said  the treasures that have  already been detected at the temple should not be moved from the existing premises. 
The ritual reportedly found that taking the treasure – located inside the vault of the temple – out of …

The Thiruvananthapuram International Airport will shift its international flight operations to its new complex by this year end.
The construction of the Rs.245.58crore project is fast progressing, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) officials said in Thiruvananthapyuram.
Nearly 85 per cent of the 19-metre-tall three-storey terminal building, coming up facing the Parvathi Puthanar has been completed. “As things are moving, we are hopeful of commissioning the world-class terminal as announced in December”, Airport Director Mr. N. Nagraj told the media.
Hundreds of workers are busy engaged in the finishing works to meet the …

The renovation works of  Putharikandam Maidan at East Fort, Thiruvananthapuram, has reached its final phase.
The project taken up by the city Corporation is expected to extend well beyond the Onam festival season. Mayor K. Chandrika said it would be difficult to meet the September  deadline.
“A number of government agencies have applied for use of the ground to hold sales fairs during Onam. We will have to oblige in view of the festival season though leasing out the ground at this time will effectively put the brakes on the ongoing work …

The 10th annual convention of   United Kingdom Knanaya Catholic Association (UKKCA), one of the largest Indian community organisations in the UK,  was held at  the Newark Convention Centre in Nottingham with much fanfare.
The event was marked by  huge public procession and cultural events that mesmerised the large gathering at the Convention Centre.
The event started with a flag hoisting ceremony followed by a Holy Mass.
Mar Joseph Pandarasseril, Auxiliary Bishop of Kottayam, was the Chief Guest. Noted Malayalam playback singer Biju Narayanan formally inaugurated the annual convention.
Cultural procession was the highlight of …