Sunday, July 24, 2011
Abhimana Nimisham - Largest container vessel calls at Vallarpadam port
KOCHI: Pointing to the fact that the Vallarpadam International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) is full-fledged, Maersk Sembawang, the largest container vessel to visit India, called at the terminal on Thursday.
The ship Maersk Sembawang was received at the terminal by a big crowd which included, vice president and managing director of Dubai Port World, which operates the terminal, Anil Singh, DPW chief executive officer K K Krishnadas and Cochin Port Trust chairman Paul Antony. Captain of the ship Vinod Kumar, hails from Kochi.
The 319 m long Singaporeanflagged vessel has a capacity of 6,478 twenty feet equivalent units(TEUs).
The vessel coming from Europe through Suez Canal reached Kochi after a 10day journey. It is scheduled to go to China on Friday.
ICTT is equipped with the most modern facilities comprising four super postpanamax twin lift quay cranes, 15 rubber tired cranes, 600 m gantry cranes, 600 m of quay length and dedicated rail connectivity with hinterland destinations. Easy access through rail, road and sea helps the ICTT to connect all the key South Indian markets of Bangalore, Coimbatore, Tirupur and Salem.
Barging operation using the inland waterways is another feature of the terminal.With a fourlane highway dedicated to the terminal, direct rail connectivity and easy coastal connectivity are its other merits. The largest container ship to visit the South Indian ports was 208 m long, Maersk Kalamata. The largest ship which has visited the ICTT, Vallarpadam so far is a 247 m long mothership.
IT raids: more film stars under observation
Income tax raids on Mammooty, Mohanlal
Kochi: After Mammootty and Mohanlal, more film actors and their business partners are under observation for income tax evasion, reports say.
The IT department has pointed out that it picked out the superstars themselves to carry out the first raids to send a clear message to the others in the industry.
One of the reasons for the raids in the discrepancy in the returns submitted by the stars and the producers. The department also observed the spread of the business empires of the duo as well the increase of their properties including land.
The IT officials have said that the two stars were under observation for three months. The department also thinks that with the star-raids the filmdom has become more alert on filing tax returns.
Kochi: After Mammootty and Mohanlal, more film actors and their business partners are under observation for income tax evasion, reports say.
The IT department has pointed out that it picked out the superstars themselves to carry out the first raids to send a clear message to the others in the industry.
One of the reasons for the raids in the discrepancy in the returns submitted by the stars and the producers. The department also observed the spread of the business empires of the duo as well the increase of their properties including land.
The IT officials have said that the two stars were under observation for three months. The department also thinks that with the star-raids the filmdom has become more alert on filing tax returns.
New York Times Accaliams Chief Ministers Initiative
Transparent Government, via Webcams in India
The chief minister of Kerala state in India has installed a webcam in his office and puts the feed online as an anticorruption measure.
That is the premise for the webcam that a top government official here has installed in his office, as an anticorruption experiment. Goings-on in his chamber are viewable to the public, 24/7.
In an India beset by kickback scandals at the highest reaches of government, and where petty bribes at police stations and motor vehicle departments are often considered a matter of course, Oommen Chandy is making an online stand.
“Instead of taking action against corruption, I believe that we have to create an atmosphere where everything should be in a transparent way,” Mr. Chandy, who recently became chief minister of Kerala state after his coalition won a close election, said in an interview in his office. “The people must know everything.”
About 100,000 visitors logged in to the video feed on the day it began, July 1. And through last Friday afternoon, it had been visited by 293,586 users.
The chief minister — equivalent to an American governor — gave the interview during a break in negotiations with leaders of the state’s private colleges over the fees they can charge students.
Although the proceedings were being streamed on his office’s Web site, as with everything captured by the webcam there was no audio. (The minister says he wants visitors and aides to speak freely when they meet him.)
Sunil Abraham, the executive director of the Center for Internet and Society in Bangalore, said he applauded Mr. Chandy’s webcams, even if the effort amounted to no more than tokenism.
“This type of tokenism is also quite useful,” said Mr. Abraham, predicting it might check the behavior of not only the chief minister, but also his underlings and the powerful executives and politicians who come to visit him.
Of course, he noted, if people are intent on paying bribes, they could probably still do it outside the office.
Mr. Abraham said webcams might be a far more powerful tool if installed in police stations, drivers’ licenses offices, welfare agencies and other places where Indians interact with officials who sometimes demand bribes to do routine work. A few agencies around the country have started such surveillance, he said, but most have not.
Mr. Chandy’s effort comes as India has been racked by one corruption scandal after another. A former federal telecommunications minister is sitting in jail on charges that he gave cellphone licenses to favored companies, costing the government as much as $40 billion. Several corporate executives, an official involved in planning the Commonwealth Games and the scion of a political family are also behind bars while being tried on various corruption charges.
But transparency is tedious. For most of the day, as the videos stream from the Chandy chambers, the chief minister is either out of the office or sitting with aides and other politicians. The video from a second camera, trained on the outside chamber, shows aides at their desks answering phones or staring into their computer screens.
A career politician and a member of the ruling Congress party, Mr. Chandy, 67, had a webcam in his office when he was chief minister for two years from 2004 to 2006. But his successor, the leader of a communist coalition government, removed the device when he took over. Now in the opposition, the communists deride the webcams as a publicity stunt.
But others see virtue in such efforts, even if the details are still being refined.
In Bangalore, the top executive of a government-owned electricity utility has been using a webcam in his office. The official, P. Manivannan, said he was now installing a “hemispheric” camera that would capture the goings-on in his entire office rather than just show his visitors.
But he said he would no longer broadcast the video stream to the Web site of the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company.
“I have been getting a lot of brickbats because of the cameras,” Mr. Manivannan said in a telephone interview. “My colleagues were telling me, ‘What are you trying to prove — that you are the only honest one?’ ”
Once the new camera is installed, Mr. Manivannan said it would record everything. But anyone interested in viewing segments of the video would have to request the clips, at no cost. That should ease tension in the office, he said, while still keeping things on the up and up.
He said he had success with a similar camera when he was in the city government and some politicians threatened to call a strike unless he reinstated a fired employee. The politicians backed off, Mr. Manivannan said, when he threatened to give a recording of their meeting to local television stations.
“I definitely believe that putting a camera helps you prove that you are accountable,” he said. “I would be very happy if tomorrow the government of India decided you must have a camera.”
Sanjit Das for The New York Times
The chief minister of Kerala state in India has installed a webcam in his office and puts the feed online as an anticorruption measure.
That is the premise for the webcam that a top government official here has installed in his office, as an anticorruption experiment. Goings-on in his chamber are viewable to the public, 24/7.
In an India beset by kickback scandals at the highest reaches of government, and where petty bribes at police stations and motor vehicle departments are often considered a matter of course, Oommen Chandy is making an online stand.
“Instead of taking action against corruption, I believe that we have to create an atmosphere where everything should be in a transparent way,” Mr. Chandy, who recently became chief minister of Kerala state after his coalition won a close election, said in an interview in his office. “The people must know everything.”
About 100,000 visitors logged in to the video feed on the day it began, July 1. And through last Friday afternoon, it had been visited by 293,586 users.
The chief minister — equivalent to an American governor — gave the interview during a break in negotiations with leaders of the state’s private colleges over the fees they can charge students.
Although the proceedings were being streamed on his office’s Web site, as with everything captured by the webcam there was no audio. (The minister says he wants visitors and aides to speak freely when they meet him.)
Sunil Abraham, the executive director of the Center for Internet and Society in Bangalore, said he applauded Mr. Chandy’s webcams, even if the effort amounted to no more than tokenism.
“This type of tokenism is also quite useful,” said Mr. Abraham, predicting it might check the behavior of not only the chief minister, but also his underlings and the powerful executives and politicians who come to visit him.
Of course, he noted, if people are intent on paying bribes, they could probably still do it outside the office.
Mr. Abraham said webcams might be a far more powerful tool if installed in police stations, drivers’ licenses offices, welfare agencies and other places where Indians interact with officials who sometimes demand bribes to do routine work. A few agencies around the country have started such surveillance, he said, but most have not.
Mr. Chandy’s effort comes as India has been racked by one corruption scandal after another. A former federal telecommunications minister is sitting in jail on charges that he gave cellphone licenses to favored companies, costing the government as much as $40 billion. Several corporate executives, an official involved in planning the Commonwealth Games and the scion of a political family are also behind bars while being tried on various corruption charges.
But transparency is tedious. For most of the day, as the videos stream from the Chandy chambers, the chief minister is either out of the office or sitting with aides and other politicians. The video from a second camera, trained on the outside chamber, shows aides at their desks answering phones or staring into their computer screens.
A career politician and a member of the ruling Congress party, Mr. Chandy, 67, had a webcam in his office when he was chief minister for two years from 2004 to 2006. But his successor, the leader of a communist coalition government, removed the device when he took over. Now in the opposition, the communists deride the webcams as a publicity stunt.
But others see virtue in such efforts, even if the details are still being refined.
In Bangalore, the top executive of a government-owned electricity utility has been using a webcam in his office. The official, P. Manivannan, said he was now installing a “hemispheric” camera that would capture the goings-on in his entire office rather than just show his visitors.
But he said he would no longer broadcast the video stream to the Web site of the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company.
“I have been getting a lot of brickbats because of the cameras,” Mr. Manivannan said in a telephone interview. “My colleagues were telling me, ‘What are you trying to prove — that you are the only honest one?’ ”
Once the new camera is installed, Mr. Manivannan said it would record everything. But anyone interested in viewing segments of the video would have to request the clips, at no cost. That should ease tension in the office, he said, while still keeping things on the up and up.
He said he had success with a similar camera when he was in the city government and some politicians threatened to call a strike unless he reinstated a fired employee. The politicians backed off, Mr. Manivannan said, when he threatened to give a recording of their meeting to local television stations.
“I definitely believe that putting a camera helps you prove that you are accountable,” he said. “I would be very happy if tomorrow the government of India decided you must have a camera.”
Sanjit Das for The New York Times
Sunday, July 3, 2011
The wealth of the temple will rest with the temple itself." - CM
"Sree Padmanabha Swami Temple is the pride of Kerala. The wealth of the temple will rest with the temple itself. These were given as offerings to Sree Padmanabha. The government is totally committed to give high level protection to the temple, since it is the onus of the government" said CM after convening a high level meeting at Trivandrum.
While providing security, government will make sure that the customs and traditions of the temple remain undisturbed.
Oomen Chandy said that the government has decided to provide two types of security- temporary and permanent. The temporary security would come into effect tonight itself. A control room would be set up at Fort Police Station and a 24 hour police patrolling would be implemented around the temple.
Regarding long term security measures, CM said that Additional Chief secretary (Home) would give the recommendations to the committee designated by the Supreme Court and the government would implement further security arrangements with the consent of the Supreme Court.
CM also said that the security measures would be discussed with the Maharaja and Tantri. All the expenses of the security measures would be met by the government.
CM also requested the media not to promulgate the detailed security measures.
While providing security, government will make sure that the customs and traditions of the temple remain undisturbed.
Oomen Chandy said that the government has decided to provide two types of security- temporary and permanent. The temporary security would come into effect tonight itself. A control room would be set up at Fort Police Station and a 24 hour police patrolling would be implemented around the temple.
Regarding long term security measures, CM said that Additional Chief secretary (Home) would give the recommendations to the committee designated by the Supreme Court and the government would implement further security arrangements with the consent of the Supreme Court.
CM also said that the security measures would be discussed with the Maharaja and Tantri. All the expenses of the security measures would be met by the government.
CM also requested the media not to promulgate the detailed security measures.
Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple could well be the richest in country
Thiruvananthapuram: The Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple in Kerala could well be the richest in the country as unofficial estimates Saturday, the sixth day of preparing an inventory of treasures in its six chambers, suggested the value of its gold, diamond and other precious metals at close to Rs.one lakh crore.
The inventory of the temple here, maintained by the erstwhile royal family of Travancore, is being made by a seven-member Supreme Court-appointed panel.
The stock-taking process was ordered by the Supreme Court following a petition by advocate T.P. Sundararajan over mismanagement of the temple affairs.
On Monday, ahead of entering the temple chambers for the first time, the committee chairman, retired Kerala High Court judge M.N. Krishnan, said he hoped to finish the entire process by the end of the week.
The temple has a total of six chambers, named A to F by the committee. With chamber B yet to be opened and chamber A's accounting ending Saturday, and two more chambers left unopened yet, it is expected that the inventory process may continue for a few more days.
The inventory of a chamber opened Friday could only be completed Saturday.
The committee, which includes a gemmologist, stumbled upon a nearly four-foot-tall statue of Lord Vishnu in gold and studded with emeralds.
Other precious items that were accounted for Saturday included several golden statues, almost all weighing two kg each.
Among other things are a gold necklace as long as 15 feet, and crowns studded with emeralds, rubies and diamonds.
The chamber is situated around 20 feet under the ground. The committee conducted the examination using artificial lights. Cylinders were used to pump in oxygen to the chamber to guard against breathing problems for committee members.
The Kerala government has maintained high security at the temple after the exercise started.
City police commissioner Manoj Abraham said additional 80 personnel of the special armed police (SAP) will be posted at the temple.
Historian and veteran journalist M. Gopalakrishnan said that according to the legend the gold got accumulated in the temple because in the olden days people used to offer gold to seek pardon from the royal family.
The main temple deity, Padmanabhaswamy, is a form of Hindu god Vishnu in Anananthasayanam posture or in eternal sleep of 'yognidra'.
The foundation of the present entrance gateway was laid in 1566 and the temple has a 100-foot, seven-tier tower besides a corridor with 365 and one-quarter sculptured granite stone pillars with elaborate carvings.
As of now, the Balaji temple in Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh is believed to be the richest temple in the country, followed by Shirdi Sai Baba shrine in Maharashtra.
The inventory of the temple here, maintained by the erstwhile royal family of Travancore, is being made by a seven-member Supreme Court-appointed panel.
The stock-taking process was ordered by the Supreme Court following a petition by advocate T.P. Sundararajan over mismanagement of the temple affairs.
On Monday, ahead of entering the temple chambers for the first time, the committee chairman, retired Kerala High Court judge M.N. Krishnan, said he hoped to finish the entire process by the end of the week.
The temple has a total of six chambers, named A to F by the committee. With chamber B yet to be opened and chamber A's accounting ending Saturday, and two more chambers left unopened yet, it is expected that the inventory process may continue for a few more days.
The inventory of a chamber opened Friday could only be completed Saturday.
The committee, which includes a gemmologist, stumbled upon a nearly four-foot-tall statue of Lord Vishnu in gold and studded with emeralds.
Other precious items that were accounted for Saturday included several golden statues, almost all weighing two kg each.
Among other things are a gold necklace as long as 15 feet, and crowns studded with emeralds, rubies and diamonds.
The chamber is situated around 20 feet under the ground. The committee conducted the examination using artificial lights. Cylinders were used to pump in oxygen to the chamber to guard against breathing problems for committee members.
The Kerala government has maintained high security at the temple after the exercise started.
City police commissioner Manoj Abraham said additional 80 personnel of the special armed police (SAP) will be posted at the temple.
Historian and veteran journalist M. Gopalakrishnan said that according to the legend the gold got accumulated in the temple because in the olden days people used to offer gold to seek pardon from the royal family.
The main temple deity, Padmanabhaswamy, is a form of Hindu god Vishnu in Anananthasayanam posture or in eternal sleep of 'yognidra'.
The foundation of the present entrance gateway was laid in 1566 and the temple has a 100-foot, seven-tier tower besides a corridor with 365 and one-quarter sculptured granite stone pillars with elaborate carvings.
As of now, the Balaji temple in Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh is believed to be the richest temple in the country, followed by Shirdi Sai Baba shrine in Maharashtra.
Padmanabhaswamy temple could well be the richest in country
Thiruvananthapuram: The Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple in Kerala could well be the richest in the country as unofficial estimates Saturday, the sixth day of preparing an inventory of treasures in its six chambers, suggested the value of its gold, diamond and other precious metals at close to Rs.one lakh crore.
The inventory of the temple here, maintained by the erstwhile royal family of Travancore, is being made by a seven-member Supreme Court-appointed panel.
The stock-taking process was ordered by the Supreme Court following a petition by advocate T.P. Sundararajan over mismanagement of the temple affairs.
On Monday, ahead of entering the temple chambers for the first time, the committee chairman, retired Kerala High Court judge M.N. Krishnan, said he hoped to finish the entire process by the end of the week.
The temple has a total of six chambers, named A to F by the committee. With chamber B yet to be opened and chamber A's accounting ending Saturday, and two more chambers left unopened yet, it is expected that the inventory process may continue for a few more days.
The inventory of a chamber opened Friday could only be completed Saturday.
The committee, which includes a gemmologist, stumbled upon a nearly four-foot-tall statue of Lord Vishnu in gold and studded with emeralds.
Other precious items that were accounted for Saturday included several golden statues, almost all weighing two kg each.
Among other things are a gold necklace as long as 15 feet, and crowns studded with emeralds, rubies and diamonds.
The chamber is situated around 20 feet under the ground. The committee conducted the examination using artificial lights. Cylinders were used to pump in oxygen to the chamber to guard against breathing problems for committee members.
The Kerala government has maintained high security at the temple after the exercise started.
City police commissioner Manoj Abraham said additional 80 personnel of the special armed police (SAP) will be posted at the temple.
Historian and veteran journalist M. Gopalakrishnan said that according to the legend the gold got accumulated in the temple because in the olden days people used to offer gold to seek pardon from the royal family.
The main temple deity, Padmanabhaswamy, is a form of Hindu god Vishnu in Anananthasayanam posture or in eternal sleep of 'yognidra'.
The foundation of the present entrance gateway was laid in 1566 and the temple has a 100-foot, seven-tier tower besides a corridor with 365 and one-quarter sculptured granite stone pillars with elaborate carvings.
As of now, the Balaji temple in Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh is believed to be the richest temple in the country, followed by Shirdi Sai Baba shrine in Maharashtra.
The inventory of the temple here, maintained by the erstwhile royal family of Travancore, is being made by a seven-member Supreme Court-appointed panel.
The stock-taking process was ordered by the Supreme Court following a petition by advocate T.P. Sundararajan over mismanagement of the temple affairs.
On Monday, ahead of entering the temple chambers for the first time, the committee chairman, retired Kerala High Court judge M.N. Krishnan, said he hoped to finish the entire process by the end of the week.
The temple has a total of six chambers, named A to F by the committee. With chamber B yet to be opened and chamber A's accounting ending Saturday, and two more chambers left unopened yet, it is expected that the inventory process may continue for a few more days.
The inventory of a chamber opened Friday could only be completed Saturday.
The committee, which includes a gemmologist, stumbled upon a nearly four-foot-tall statue of Lord Vishnu in gold and studded with emeralds.
Other precious items that were accounted for Saturday included several golden statues, almost all weighing two kg each.
Among other things are a gold necklace as long as 15 feet, and crowns studded with emeralds, rubies and diamonds.
The chamber is situated around 20 feet under the ground. The committee conducted the examination using artificial lights. Cylinders were used to pump in oxygen to the chamber to guard against breathing problems for committee members.
The Kerala government has maintained high security at the temple after the exercise started.
City police commissioner Manoj Abraham said additional 80 personnel of the special armed police (SAP) will be posted at the temple.
Historian and veteran journalist M. Gopalakrishnan said that according to the legend the gold got accumulated in the temple because in the olden days people used to offer gold to seek pardon from the royal family.
The main temple deity, Padmanabhaswamy, is a form of Hindu god Vishnu in Anananthasayanam posture or in eternal sleep of 'yognidra'.
The foundation of the present entrance gateway was laid in 1566 and the temple has a 100-foot, seven-tier tower besides a corridor with 365 and one-quarter sculptured granite stone pillars with elaborate carvings.
As of now, the Balaji temple in Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh is believed to be the richest temple in the country, followed by Shirdi Sai Baba shrine in Maharashtra.
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