Tag: Kerala

IndustryLatest Stories

Kalamassery Drafts Changes to City Structural Plan

KOCHI: To align urban planning with contemporary development needs, the Kalamassery municipality has released a draft notification proposing alterations to its structural plan established in 1991. The amendment, issued by the state government on March 15, 2026, aims to provide immediate relief for residents and developers in municipalities and panchayats surrounding the Kochi corporation while awaiting the full implementation of the comprehensive 2040 Amrut Master Plan. Though the Kochi corporation is already implementing the 2040 master plan regulations, nearby local bodies have remained constrained by the outdated 1991 framework. “Many older proposals have become impractical due to changes in traffic…

IndustryLatest Stories

Vedaanta Senior Living to invest ₹200 crore in Kerala soon

Representative AI image NEW DELHI: Vedaanta Senior Living has announced plans to invest approximately ₹200 crore in Kerala over the next three years. As a part of this initiative, the company has introduced a senior living project named Eden Gardens in Ettumanoor, near Kottayam, with an initial investment of ₹50 crore. The project, spanning four acres, will feature 48 villas and around 30 apartments, with prices commencing at ₹76 lakh. This development signifies the company’s expansion in Kerala, where it already operates in Guruvayur and Kochi, with another project anticipated in Thrissur. The completion timeline for the project has not…

CommercialLatest Stories

Thiruvananthapuram: Neopolis IT Project Delayed by Expansion Plans

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Neopolis IT township project proposed by the Union government in the capital is expected to face delays, as the Centre plans to revise the scheme significantly by increasing its scope from 10 to nearly 100 cities nationwide. This expansion, aimed at enhancing next-generation IT infrastructure, casts uncertainty over the timeline of the Thiruvananthapuram project. The Neopolis project received preliminary approval from the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in December 2024 and is intended for development at Technopark Phase IV. It represents the initial phase of the ambitious Outer Area Growth Corridor (OAGC) project, which aims to…

InfrastructureLatest Stories

Varkala Curbing Illegal Cliffside Constructions

Significant Enforcement Drive in Varkala THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: During the ongoing election period, Varkala municipality has amplified efforts against unauthorized constructions along the ecologically sensitive North Cliff, spanning from Varkala Cliff to Aliyirakkam. Civic authorities report numerous resorts, homestays, and private operators have breached the Kerala Municipality Building Rules (KMBR), 2019, often taking advantage of diminished oversight during elections. The municipality has recently issued a stop memo for an illegal structure in Al Ameen Nagar. The notice, issued by an assistant engineer, identifies a resident named Adinan, who allegedly constructed a room (4.50m x 4.60m x 3.10m), two sets of steps, and…

Latest StoriesResidential

Wayanad Landslide Survivors Move to New Homes in Model Township

File Photo WAYANAD: The Kerala government provided a new beginning for 178 families affected by the Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslide by handing over new homes on Sunday. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the initial phase of the Wayanad Model Township at Elton Estate, marking the end of a long displacement for families who had resided in temporary and rented accommodations. Vijayan presented the township, equipped with essential amenities, to the beneficiaries, highlighting it as a “testament to Kerala’s commitment to building back better”. During this first phase, homes were allocated to families whose residences were entirely destroyed in the July 30, 2024…

Latest StoriesResidential

Kerala CM to Hand Over Keys to 178 Houses on March 1

KOCHI: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the model township project aimed at rehabilitating survivors of the Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslides in Wayanad on Sunday. In the first phase, 178 families who completely lost their homes in the disaster will receive new houses. They will start moving into these homes near Kalpetta once the Chief Minister hands over the keys. The single-storey houses, covering an area of 1,000 sq. ft., have been designed with foundations that allow for a potential second floor in the future. Each house features a master bedroom, two additional rooms, a sit-out area, a living room, a study,…

Latest StoriesResidential

Kerala Achieves 500,000 Homes via LIFE Mission: CM

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced on Monday that the LDF government has successfully constructed five lakh houses under the LIFE Mission, a significant milestone towards eradicating homelessness in Kerala. In a Facebook update, Vijayan explained that the housing initiative was started in 2016 to provide secure homes for the homeless throughout the state. “The LIFE Mission, initiated by the LDF government in 2016 to make Kerala homelessness-free, has now seen the completion of five lakh homes,” he mentioned. The Chief Minister revealed that a state-level celebration to commemorate this achievement is scheduled for February 24 in Thiruvananthapuram. He also…

Latest StoriesResidential

Kerala Landslide Survivors Choose New Homes via Lottery

MEPPADI: During a house allotment event for survivors of the Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslide disaster at MSA Auditorium on Friday, Valsala, a plantation worker from Chooralmala employed with Harrisons Malayalam Ltd, was filled with emotion as she participated in the draw. This allotment allowed the first group of 178 beneficiaries to choose from houses constructed under the township initiative in Kalpetta, with participants selecting slips that contained three-digit codes representing zone, cluster, and plot numbers. “I couldn’t hold back my tears when I drew the lot. Memories of my 35-year-old son overwhelmed me. Not a day goes by without crying for him…

IndustryLatest Stories

Founder of Confident Group self-shoots during I-T raid in Bengaluru

BENGALURU | KOCHI: C J Roy, founder and chairman of the Confident Group real estate firm, tragically took his own life on Friday afternoon, as confirmed by Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh. Singh stated that Income Tax (I-T) searches had been ongoing in Bangalore for the past three days. At the age of late 50s, Roy suffered a gunshot wound from his licensed firearm at his office near Richmond Circle. Staff rushed to his aid after hearing the gunshot, only to find him in critical condition. Despite immediate efforts to transport him to a hospital, he was pronounced dead…

IndustryLatest Stories

Kerala’s Policy Shift Will Legalize Land-Use Violations

Representative Image THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Recent years have seen land-use violations in Idukki—previously considered serious enough for court action—shift to the focus of a significant policy change. What’s particularly notable is that these cases were investigated using public funds, with district officials, revenue personnel, and law enforcement dedicating years to identify violations, issue stop orders, and defend their actions in court. Now, those same violations face potential retroactive approval under a new standard operating procedure, effectively undermining years of administrative diligence. Documents submitted to the Kerala High Court by the Idukki district administration in 2023 indicate that these violations were neither isolated…