- BSNL Cellular Service by March Kerala tops mobile phone users in India.
- Non Resident Keralites Need Bank's Support
- The growing Flower Culture of Kerala
September 25, 2001
Members want Kerala Cultural Centre (KCC) accounts published
Kerala Cultural Centre (KCC) -- the premier socio-political organisation in Muscat in the 1980s and early 1990s , was closed down in 1994 due to a government decision to allow only a single social club for the Indian community in Oman. KCC -- then the most powerful expatriate community club in Oman with more than 600 members - is once again in the news for bad reasons. The last office bearers of the KCC are the butt of ridicule from many corners as they have faced severe criticism for the dubious manner in which they handled huge amount of surplus funds worth thousands of Rials (equivalent to several lakhs of Indian rupees) and other assets of the closed club without disclosing the details for several years...Full Report
Sudan helps US to crack down Osama's terrorrist network
Sudan has taken steps to crack down on members of Osama bin Laden's terrorist network still in the country, United Press International (UPI) reported on Friday. UPI quoted US officials as saying that Sudan's intelligence ministry had handed over the names and locations of individuals in Bin Laden's Al-Qaeda (Al-Qa'idah) network to US intelligence services in Sudan..Full Report
THE GROWING CUT FLOWER CULTURE OF KERALA Sudha S. Namboothiry At a time when the small farmers in Kerala find their investments in coconut and rubber non-profitable, investment in anthurium and orchids seems to be a better option.
KOCHI; Flowers speak millions of unspoken words. No wonder they are there on almost every occasion. From birth to death, in religious ceremonies, festivals, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, receptions, flowers are there to convey profound human feelings. Presenting a flower to anyone you love and the flower arrangements in most of the drawing rooms, offices, hotels and hospitals have become the style of the day in the fast-moving modern world where there is hardly any time for sweet nothings. Since time immemorial, the importance of such a delicate creation of Nature has always been appreciated.
Festivals in India are incomplete without flowers and this is the time when the florists have their field day. Onam, the most important festival of Kerala, is unthinkable without Pookalam, (exquisite floral arrangement on the floor). In the yesteryears, every house in Kerala had at least a little yard where jasmine, roses, hibiscus, marigold, chrysnath and ashoka were grown. There grew a lot of wild flowers on the fences and sidewalks. Kerala was dotted with water bodies full of water lilies and lotus. But today concrete has engulfed the natural beauty. So, just as every essential article from rice to sugar and consumer products from soap to electronic gadgets, Kerala gets its flowers from its neighbouring States. The situation has become so grim that if flowers from Tamil Nadu or Karnataka stop coming, no wedding or ‘pooja’ can take place in Kerala.
But Kerala has developed a new-found love for two groups of flowering plants-the orchid and the anthurium. Both produce exquisite and delicately hued flowers. Most of the orchids and anthuriums grow well in the tropical climate of Kerala. Above all, the cut flower culture of the modern age has created good market for the orchids and anthuriums as hotels and other commercial establishments prefer these flowers which are long- lasting compared roses, dahlias and gladiolas which stay only for a day in flower vases. Some progressive farmers are making a fortune out of flower cultivation in Kerala.
First it was an orchid boom in Kerala. Then it slowly gave way to anthurium. For, the customers found anthurium much more lasting– upto 20 days. So many small growers and even housewives are now diverting to anthurium culture with technical and financial assistance from the Centre and the State Government. Since 1992, the Tropical Botanical Garden Research Institution (TBGRI), Palode, Thiruvanathapuram, under different schemes partially funded by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, has trained over 1,500 individuals in Kerala in orchid and anthurium cultivation. Out of them 90 per cent were women. The Federation of Indian Floriculturists, the apex body promoting floriculture as agriculture activity in the country, trains and markets the flowers of the growers. Apart from these, krishi bhavans in every panchayat give subsidy for building net houses and various cooperative societies provide technical assistance and find out markets for the flowers. Financial assistance is available from most of the banks under the horticulture loan scheme. The krishi bhavans in some districts have launched the State government’s Flori Card Scheme which helps the cardholder to receive loans upto Rs. 25,000 from the State Bank of India.
At a time when the small farmers in Kerala find their investments in coconut and rubber non-profitable, investment in anthurium and orchids seems to be a better option. Today there are a number of big and small growers engaged in anthurium and orchid cultivation. They have formed societies for self-help in cultivation and marketing. One such society tucked away in the rural area of the Ernakulam district is anthurium cut flower society. It is the dream child of Jose Vallookaran and Saju T D of Karukutty village. Affected by unemployment, the duo wanted to try something different. In 1999, armed with 500 anthurium plants and a net house built with subsidy from krishi bhavan, their first anthurium nursery materialised in a 2.5 cent piece of land. The Command Area Development Authority (CADA) gave Rs. 10,000 worth anthurium plants to them. After eight months of waiting they began reaping 150 flowers every fortnight. Though the concept of using anthurium in flower arrangement was not new, sale of the flower became difficult. Hence, in August 2000 roping in other individual cultivators they formed a twelve-member society.
At present there are 150 members in the society, 100 of them women. The society helps in providing loans and subsidies from various banks, krishi bhavan and CADA for building green houses and setting up farms. In addition, the society supplies plants at a reduced rate, provides technical assistance, conducts classes, monitoring the farms till the plants start blossoming. And once the flowers are ready for harvest, the society purchases the flowers from the members, the price depending upon the size of the flower. In season (August-February), the cost of a 6-inch flower comes to about Rs.13. Much in demand are Cancan, Tropical, Honduras, Zenator and Mauritius Orange varieties. These collected flowers are then taken to private sellers who send them to cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Bangalore. The Society covers Ernakulam, Alleppey and Thrissur districts of Kerala and delivers about 1,500 flowers every week. They also help in selling the suckers. The society gives award to the best anthurium grower.
The Society is just one among the many scattered in the State doing its share of service. There are over 150 known varieties of anthurium. The investment comes around Rs. 5000 for a hundred plant and setting up the farm. In one year the earnings from hundred plants comes to about Rs. 12,000. It has been proved that one doesn’t have to be rich to undertake orchid and anthurium cultivation. By motivating rural women and youth in floriculture, the unemployment problem can be solved to a certain extent.The Pacific Ocean American island of Hawaii is exporting 2.5 million anthurium flowers every year to Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, Japan, Taiwan and the USA. Anthurium, belonging to the family of Araceae and a native of Colombian forests, has come off with flying colours in the world of cut flower culture. In India, Kerala with its humid tropical climate has a promising future indeed in this field.
FLOWER THERAPY IN AYURVEDA "In Kerala, the Warriers were a special class of people who were entrusted with the task of preparing garlands used to decorate idols in temples. It is said that they were quite adept in the temple rites and used to prepare garlands in the form of stanzas in praise of the temple deity.' Writes K. Parameswaran (Asstt. News Editor, All India Radio) Thiruvananthapuram.
Members want Kerala Cultural Centre (KCC) accounts published
A special correspondent, keralamonitor.com
Muscat -Kerala Cultural Centre (KCC) -- the premier socio-political organisation in Muscat in the 1980s and early 1990s , was closed down in 1994 due to a government decision to allow only a single social club for the Indian community in Oman. KCC -- then the most powerful expatriate community club in Oman with more than 600 members - is once again in the news for bad reasons. The last office bearers of the KCC are the butt of ridicule from many corners as they have faced severe criticism for the dubious manner in which they handled huge amount of surplus funds worth thousands of Rials (equivalent to several lakhs of Indian rupees) and other assets of the closed club without disclosing the details for several years.
The controversy has added flavour because most members of the last KCC Managing Committee are at the helm of affairs at the Indian Social Club Malayalam Wing. In order to protect their image, some of them are working overtime to present an acceptable account to the ISC Malayalam Wing general body, as some of its members have demanded that all the accounts must be published. Despite several demands from the members of the closed club after its closure about seven years back, the respectable members of the managing committee have never bothered to publicish the accounts, saying that "all the accounts were submitted to the Indian Embassy."
Members of Oman's Malayali Community who were involved in fund raising for KCC, have demanded that the Managing Committee of the closed Club have to reveal details of the Club finances. Many of them have also questioned the manner in which funds worth RO 48,000 (Indian Rupees fifty lakhs) and other assets of the club have been utilised.
According to several members of the erstwhile KCC, when the club was closed it was the most powerful community organisation in Oman with huge amount of fund. "About RO 38,000 was kept as fixed deposit with Bank of Baroda, Muscat. Members of the last Managing Committee, who were controlling the funds, hurriedly called a general body meeting which members allege was not attended by many and passed a resolution authorising the committee members to utilise the funds for humanitarian programmes. They also decided to transfer the fund to the personal accounts of committee members as the club was banned by the local government," says a senior KCC member. "While the situation during that period demanded an immediate action, what followed this decision cannot be justified," he added.The KCC had a good library with hundreds of precious books in Malayalam and English, furniture, Musical instruments of the Club Orchestra, Computer, a TV set and other sports and entertainment items. When the Oman Government said that each expatriate community should have only one club, KCC stopped functioning, leaving everything in the hands of the committee members. Former KCC Members also revealed that some of the furniture, orchestra and other assets were either sold off through auction at throwaway prices or donated by the Committee members.
"We took a decision in the presence of the Indian Embassy officials in a public meeting to spend the money for humanitarian and healthcare projects in Kerala. All the money was spent in this fashion and the audited accounts were submitted to the Indian Embassy,' claims the KCC office bearers.
Even though a number of proposals came forward to utilise the fund for some good cause, but the managing committee members decided to buy a scanning machine (for eye testin?) and donated it to the Thrichur Medical College. KCC members alleged that the machine which was bought at a price of RO 30,000 (Three million Indian rupees) stopped functioning immediately after it was donated to the Medical College. "The duplex scanning machine donated to the Medical College did not function because its main component -believed to be a costly scanner-dramatically disappeared from the Medical College," say another KCC member, who is now with the Indian Social Club Malayalam Wing.
Former KCC members have firmly demanded that the managing Committee members have to make public details about the clubs funds as the amount was collected from the public over several years. They are also demanding that the Indian Embassy, which is the patron of the Club, should interfere in the matter and allow the club members know the manner in which the money was utilised. They say that the concerned officials cannot get away from their obligation to disclose the details by just saying that "the audited accounts are submitted to the Indian Embassy.'
Clubs need to improve financial transparency
The controversy surrounding the KCC funds raises another serious issue about improving transparency in the financial transactions of Indian Social Clubs in the Gulf. The issue needs to be addressed seriously by concerned Indian Social Clubs, the Indian Embassies and the Government of India. According to informed sources, normally club accounts are not subjected to rigorious external auditing. In some known cases internal auditor - a member of the club - does the auditing job. Due to the nature of financial transactions involving crores of Indian rupees is it not necessary that social club accounts are subjected to independent external auditing to improve transparency?
Concerned officials have to clear public doubt regarding the following:
Kadambanitta in Muscat for Onam Celebrations of Indian Social Club
keralamonitor.com
Muscat -Indian Ambassador K.M. Meena inaugurated the Onam celebrations of Indian Social Club (ISC), Kerala Wing in the presence of chief guest Kadambanitta Ramakrishnan, a famous Malayalam poet and former member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly. Speaking on the occasion, the chief guest, urged the Keralite community in Oman to uphold the moral values and ideals of Onam celebrations and reminded them about the danger posed by revival of communal, caste and other sectarian forces, which threaten the values of egalitarian society, visualised by the legandary King Mahabali. He said the state has several unique socio-economic features and it is selected as one of the prominent tourist destinations in the world. Dr. Sathish Nambiar, Chairman, ISC C.M.Jabir, convenor, C. Preman, coconvenor were also present.
Indian Ambassador giving a Khanjar to Kadambanitta. C.M.Jabir, Convenor and Abdul Gafoor, Treasurer, ISC Kerala Wing are also seen.
A three and half hour long Onam special cultural programmes showcased the unique art forms and life styles from different parts of Kerala. The cultural programme included different Mohiniyattam, Thiruvathira, Theyyam, Kummatti Kali, Oppana, and Margam Kali etc, the Wing had organised Sreenarayana Guru Jayanthi celebrations when noted writer and literary critic Zacharia spoke about the dangers posed by communal forces to religious harmony and peaceful co-existence This function also featured a number of cultural programmes and songs of communal harmony. Abdul Gafoor, Treasurer, Kerala Wing made a vote of thanks. Special competitions and cultural programmes were organised for the wing members at Al Sawadi where a special "Ona Sadya" was served
An attraction to the Onam celebrations was the Onam special Malayalam music programme by Hari Menon, a noted Muscat based Malayali singer. As the music programme was open to the audience, some good and not so good singers participated. However, it was a one man show dominated by Hari Menon, who is no doubt a versatile singer.
Beware of fake "intelligence officers" who come for robbery, house Breaking
Our Crime correspondent
Three Arab nationals entered an expatriate villa in which three families were staying together in three separate rooms. The Arabs approached the expatriate families pretending themselves coming from the intelligence department of Police. They came inside the room, suddenly locked it from inside, attacked the male family member and tied him to a chair. The female members are terrorrised showing sharp weapons. The fake "intelligence officials" conducted a search in the room, took away all valuables including mobile phone, receiver, gold ornaments, television set and money.
Before going to the next room, they lock the first family from outside. In the next room also they enter the room as intelligence officers, repeat the same drama and got away with valuable household items. It is not known whether the ladies were molested by the culprits. As these incident occurred in locked rooms, the neighbours did not know what was going on.
When they left with the booty, the Arab nationals locked the main entrance from outside so that the victims could not call anybody for help. When a member of one of the families who had gone out came back after the incident, he saw three families locked inside.
This incident happened recently to a group of Sri Lankan families in Seeb area. Such culprits are targeting families who are staying aloof from the main crowded cities. Expatriate families who are staying in such flats were not be able to get help from neighbours. In this case, three families were staying together in a big villa and they used to keep their main door open so that members of all the three families could freely enter their house.
Some of the small expatriate shop keepers have said that thieves entered their shops and took away cigarettes, telephone cards, money and other valuable small items which can be easily carried. Same shops in the Star Cinema Complex, Central Business District, Muscat are looted a couple of times. According to one of the victims, on a particular day of the week, someone breaks into the shop and take away money, valuables and electronic items. This happened for at least three to four weeks.
Houses of expatriate families who go on long vacation are also said to have been looted. When a family returned, they found their TV, VCR, Receiver and other household items stolen. Expatriate residents feel that such incidents which happened only rarely a few years back, is a new phenomenon .
UAE Company to set up Tourism Facility in India
keralamonitor.com
Dubai: The UAE company M/s. Mohammed AI Otaiba Group Est, Abu Dhabi will invest nearly Indian Rupees 15 crores to set up entertainment and lesure facility in India. The Indian Government has alredy approved the UAE firms proposal to have a 100 per cent owned leisure and entertainment centre in India. This project is part of the new companies approved for operation by the Indian Government. Murasoli Maran, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, has cleared 29 Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) proposals involving FDI worth Rs. 135.00 Crore. The major investment proposals pertain to turism, electrical & engineering industry and NBFC activities.
Emirates, Saudia, Kuwait, Yemen allowed to use Kochi Airport
keralamonitor.com
New Delhi: The national carrier Air India and Indian Airlines together are presently operating 30 services per week out of Cochin international airport. Out of the eleven airlines namely Oman Air, Kuwait Airways, Gulf Air, Sri Lankan Airlines, Qatar Airways, Emirates, Saudia, Singapore Airlines, Yemen Airways, Aeroflot and Uzbekistan Airways, who have expressed interest to operate services to/Cochin, Oman Air has been granted Cochin as a new point of call during recently concluded bilateral air services consultation on 13.8.2001. "The Government of India has also agreed to grant Cochin as a point of call in lieu of Chennai to Saudia as requested by them. A commitment has also been given to grant Cochin as a point of call to Emirates by September 2002," said the Minister of Civil Aviation, Sharad Yadav in a written reply to a question by A. Vijayaraghavan.. "Cochin has also been offered as a point of call to the designated airlines of Kuwait and Yemen subject to a commercial agreement with the designated airline of India," he told the Rajya Sabha.
Information from the Indian Consulate, Dubai
The Indian Consulate General's office in Dubai will set up Interactive Voice Response Telephone System (IVR) to provide information after office hours. In the beginning information will be available in Malayalam, English and Hindi. If found necessary additional languages will also be included.
Non Resident Keralites Need Bank's Support
keralamonitor.com
Thiruvananthapuram: Non-resident need support from the Kerala banks when they return home for good, says a study on returning emigrants conducted by the Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Thiruvananthapuram. The State Government should chip in to help the emigrants in their hour of need. The study conducted by Dr K.C. Zachariah, Dr P.R. Gopinathan Nair and S. Irudaya Rajan recommends that instituting a welfare scheme and setting up of co- operatives for specific tasks like public works and tourism projects in which the work discipline that the return emigrants have acquired during their stay abroad, will help the returnees to rehabilitate themselves in a fruitful manner.
According to the study the State has a responsibility to assist the Gulf returnees. Emigration and foreign exchange earning from the Gulf had been the single most important factor that sustained the state economy. Another finding of the study is that many of the emigrants have spent their earnings in economically unproductive ways. A good number of them have used up their life's earnings in buying land, paying dowries for daughters, constructing palatial houses or paying old debts. Once they return home, there is no cash flow to live decently.
As a result, hundreds of Gulf returnees are a disillusioned lot, hoping against hope that the State Government would bail them out. The government had recently held a meeting of Pravasi Malayalis (non-resident Keralites) at Kochi, but stopped short of making any announcement on a pension scheme for NRKs. Well to do Gulf Malayalis with professional skills and entrepreneurial leadership qualities have not returned to Kerala in considerable numbers. "They are still out there in different countries and they are the ones to be roped in to work for the economic resurgence of Kerala," feel the CDS scientists. Vast majority of former NRKs have returned home almost empty-handed. About one fifth of Gulf returnees discovered that their foreign trip was largely a misadventure.
Kerala bank lost Rs 950 mn in arbitrage services: JPC
Leading kerala-based Nedungadi Bank lost Rs 945.2 million in unauthorised arbitrage services provided To three stock broker firms, the jpc chairman prakash mani Tripathi said in New Delhi..More
BSNL Cellular Service by next March.
Kerala tops mobile phone users in India.
Kochi: The number of mobile users surpasses 300,000 with a phenomenal increase in the last two years, according to Cellular Operators Association sources. According to a report, by May last, there were 299,883 cellular phone subscribers in Kerala. Maharashtra (excluding Mumbai) came next with 271,000 subscribers. Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh came third and fourth respectively. Even though mobile service entered Kerala in 1996 , both the Escotel and BPL had only 15,000 subscribers each till 1998.
In places like Malappuram, the number of mobile phones topped that of ordinary telephones. The reduction in the price of mobile phones and introduction of pre-paid card system are key factors in boosting the trend. According to estimates, more than five out of every 100 customers of BPL Mobile in Kerala are now fishermen, many of whom never used even an ordinary phone ever. About 5,000 out of Escotel's 75,000 customers are fishermen.
The Cellular Mobile Service of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), is expected to be operational in the Thiruvananthapuram Secondary Switching Area (SSA) under the Thiruvananthapuram Telephones, by March 2002. In the first phase, 16,500 lines are to be installed in the district. The Automatic Call Centre, which will soon become operational in Thiruvananthapuram, is to provide a number of facilities for the telephone subscriber. By dialing `1500', all details regarding existing telephone connections, new registration and the like can be accessed. After getting access to the call centre, by entering the digit unique ID number, the present status of new connections can be obtained. The Thiruvananthapuram SSA has been adjudged the third best telecom system in the country and the best maintained urban system in the State, for the year 2000, as per the assessment of the IMRB, an independent organistion conducting performance surveys.
