Metro Mart June 2014

METRO mart Volume 3 Issue 12

June 2014

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T H I R U VA N A N T H A P U R A M

Chhipa Mohalla Products at

Pakittu Your journey to looking extraordinary begins at

Wow Factor

m dru an Map v i Tr rist e u To insid

Uday Surya Restaurant

A boon to travelers en route Kanyakumari.

Thiruvananthapuram ready for a facelift

Focus of our

MEMBER OF THE PARLIAMENT for future develoment of the city

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METRO mart T H I R U VA N A N T H A P U R A M

Thiruvananthapuram is in the national radar during the recent Lok Sabha Elections, with a triangular closely contested election, Mr. Shashi Tharoor, Former Union Minister winning consecutively for the second time from the city. When the opposition fared badly across the nation, the people of our city chose their beloved MP recognizing the efforts he made during the last five years. Now another five years will give him enough time to complete the old projects as well as bringing newer initiatives.

Foreword

Hi Readers,

To write well you have to be a patient reader. Reading is an essential part in our life and this quality must be encouraged right from the childhood. Reading just does not mean conventional education; rather it is an activity which one must relish upon. Children should enjoy all kind of reading - comics, epics, stories, poems.

It is very challenging today for the parents to make their kids read when TV is overtaking everyone’s life.

Hari Shanker Manag8ing Editor

Mr. Shashi Tharoor with his global exposure can bring a lot of changes to the city. He is a person who talks from his heart and this personality trait makes his works different from his predecessors. There are a lot of issues where his attention is needed immediately. Mr. E M Najeeb writes in details about the needs to be met for the immediate development which was neglected for long and the new initiatives to be taken up. We will continue featuring articles from the leaders of different segments from the city on this subject and bring these into the attention of Mr. Shashi Tharoor. This initiative will help him to connect with the people.

As Groucho Marx quotes:“I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.�

Read and Grow is one of the Success Mantras. So, Happy Reading!

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CONTENTS 10

Chhipa Mohalla Products at Pakittu

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Uday Surya Restaurant A boon to travelers enroute Kanyakumari

Volume 3 Issue 12 June 2014 www.metromartdaily.com

Annual Subscription `400

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Your journey to looking extraordinary begins at Wow Factor

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Focus of our Member of Parliament for future development of the city

Managing Editor

Hari Shanker

hari@martinfotech.in

CEO & Managing Director Siji Nair sijicn@gmail.com Sub Editor

Thiruvananthapuram ready for a facelift

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V Viswanath

Editorial Assistant

Ampili Nair

Creative Assistant

Sayan Chaudhuri Roopesh Shekhar

ON FACE

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Railways contribute to the development of the nation.

Indian Railways is now in one-billion-tonne club.

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NRI Fest at Czarina makes holidays even more memorable!

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Kerala State Tourism Awards for 2012-2013 presented

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The good old Mampazhakalam is here again…….

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HLL’s ‘WOW’ for women’s empowerment

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The Quilon Beach Hotel & Conventioncentre Awarded Certificate of Excellence

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Last Leaf

GM Sales

Sibu Nair

GM Administration

Binoy Krishna

Corporate Office:-

Metro Mart Thiruvananthapuram Jayaraj Plus Towers, Murinjapalam, Medical College Post Trivandrum - 695011 Tel: +91 471 6065511/ 9947733339 Email: metromart.tvm@gmail.com Bangalore Office:-

No:217, 3B Main, OMBR Layout Bangalore – 560 043 Tel: +919038000711 Email: info@martinfotech.in

Published, Edited and Printed by Hari Shanker A G and Owned by Haritha Media Pvt Ltd and Printed by him at SB Press Private Limited, Statue, Trivandrum 695001 and Published from Tharangam, Kodunganoor Post, Trivandrum 695013 Metro Mart is a monthly journal published from Trivandrum. Views and opinions expressed in the journal are not necessarily those of the Publishers.

Metro Mart reserves the right to use the information published here in any manner whatsoever. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information published in this edition, neither the Publisher no any of its employees accept any responsibilities for any errors or omissions. © All Rights Reserved

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RNI No: KERENG/2011/40037

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SHOPPING

Chhipa Mohalla Products at Pakittu Pakittu - The house of traditional sarees - has brought to Thiruvananthapuram yet another variety of sarees produced by master craftsmen of Jaipur. Rajasthan’s small village Bagru has had ‘Chhipas’ coming from Sawai Madhopur, Alwar, Junjjhunu and Sikar settling centuries ago to make this village an important center of hand block printing. The village had its name from the word Bagora - the name of an island where the city was originally built. It is also famous for its palm fan and ‘chintz’ production pattern. Easy provision of water from the Sanjaria River for printing and availability of Chikni Mitti (an important ingredient in Dabu mud) made the settlers choose this place. The Chhipas has had their Mohallas or the quarters in this area for over three centuries.

A visit to the Pakittu showroom would let you experience the heritage craft of Bagru sarees and also Mr. Jayan - the proprietor of Pakittu could explain to you the process of Bagru printing.

The collections at this

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showroom have been sourced from a master craftsman of Bagru printing who has been awarded the Padma Shri for his craftsmanship. The artists of Bagru take great care that their heritage is expressed through the craft.

V Viswanath

The Bagru printing process is time-consuming. Prewashing and soaking the fabric for a day is done to remove any contaminants.

Harda solution is used to dye the fabric yellow, which would enable the other natural dyes to hold fast to the fabric. Once

METRO mart T H I R U VA N A N T H A P U R A M

it is dried, the printing is done with wooden blocks coated in the required colored dye. Again the fabric is allowed to thoroughly dry for two to three days. The fabric is put in a copper pot with a mixture of alum and different flowers and boiled. It is washed again for removing excess dye and allowed to dry in the sun.

The most important feature of Bagru printing is its vegetable and natural dyes. Alum, myrobalan, skin of pomegranate, turmeric, indigo, ‘daule’ and ‘harsinghar’ flowers are boiled separately to extract colors. The Harda solution for yellow dyeing is extracted from the myrobalan plant. It is interesting to note how black dye is obtained - Rusted iron such as horse shoe, nails, etc., are soaked in water mixed with jaggery. In 15 days’ time the water can be decanted as black dye.

Madder root gives the red dye. Blue dye is obtained from Indigo bush.

Processing with different vegetable moderants gives various shades of color.

For example, a cloth that www.metromartdaily.com

is pomegranate dyed can be changed to dark blue color by dyeing it in natural indigo. And an indigodyed cloth can be re-dyed in pomegranate extract to get the color of olive green.

and the use of natural dyes.

Pakittu has been showcasing a variety of traditional sarees for Thiruvananthapuramites over the last several years. This time around Pakittu has showcased Bagru printing fills up sarees from Chhipa spaces while the Dabu printing creates spaces on Mohalla. The Bagru and Dabu printed sarees from the fabric. Dabu printing Chhipa Mohalla are made is done by hiding some available for the cityites portions from the dye by applying a resist paste. The at their showroom in Pattom. Keralites and paste is made from mitti others who have given or mud, natural gum, lime and wheat husk. Thick mud great importance to handloom clothes would paste is applied on the not fail to notice the level fabric with wood blocks.

To avoid sticking of fabric, of manual expertise that fine wood dust is sprinkled has gone in to the process of Bagru printing. The feel on this part. This Dabu of the clothes with Dabu mud makes the coated printing would also entice area resistant to dyes. the ladies to buy these Wood blocks used for sarees. Another reason printing designs are carved why these sarees can by the woodworker. His be adorned without any skills are reflected in the fear is the environmentvarious designs. friendly vegetable dyes used for Bagru printing.

The end products are Each of these sarees at highly artistic and unique which cannot be obtained Pakittu is a piece of fine craftsmanship. by other modes of printing. The artisans add The showroom is located a touch of beauty to the Opposite Spencers,LIC ordinary fabric through Pattom,Trivandrum their creativity. The fabric is made all the more visit- www.facebook.com/ exceptional by the method pakittu.pattom June June 2014

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DINING

Uday Surya Restaurant A boon to travelers enroute Kanyakumari All those traveling towards Nagercoil and Kanyakumari, after leaving the city limits, have so far had not much of a choice in terms of a good restaurant.

That has now changed with the advent of Uday Surya Restaurant at Parassala bordering Kerala and Tamilnadu. Located ideally midway between Thiruvananthapuram and Kanyakumari, Uday Surya continues the same tradition of Uday Samudra with its provision of enhanced dining experience.

The setting of the restaurant is in a serene atmosphere with well-defined architecture. The spacious parking and family-friendly environment has been attracting travelers as well as local folks to this restaurant.

MM Desk Uday Surya has taken efforts to bring in creativity with its variety of menu.

South Indian, North Indian and Chinese dishes are served here. The variety of South Indian dishes include Rava Dosa, Gothamb Dosa,

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Curry Leaves Oothappam, Chamba Puttu, Kothu Paratha, etc. For nonvegetarian lovers, there is specialties like Chicken Thoran, Travancore Mutton Curry, Nadan Fish Curry and others.

One could also take a snack break at this scenic location and have Green Tea, Onion Vada, Kappa with Fish/Chicken/Mutton Curry, or just a Black Coffee. The restaurant also has veg and Chicken Club

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Sandwich. The Chinese items include Manchurian items and Chicken/Egg/ Veg Noodles. If the desire is to take a respite from the hot sun, the large variety of Ice Creams and Shake items at this restaurant would be an added motivation. Guests to Uday Surya could also enjoy their lunch time with either a full-course meals or the biriyani enthusiasts could check out the variety of biriyanis offered at this place.

The fast growing reputation of Uday Surya is evident from the increasing number of guests to this restaurant.

People from far-off

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Tirunelveli have come to know about this place and make it a point to stopover at this restaurant for lunch, dinner or just a quick snack while traveling through.

Local folks too have made Uday Surya their favorite restaurant. Families that visit this restaurant find it to have a friendly and quite relaxing atmosphere.

affordable. The restaurant also has an ample parking space. This new unit of RR Holiday Homes (P) Ltd. UDS Group has turned out to be a go-to food destination for the people living south of Thiruvananthapuram city limits.

As one guest at Uday Surya Restaurant puts it, “We did not have a good eating place around here.

The chefs at Uday Surya If we had to have a good has been trained to lunch or dinner, we had maintain the quality of to travel all the way up food excellent. The service to Thiruvananthapuram, at this restaurant also Kovalam, or Nagercoil. matches the outstanding Now, the location of this service that one would restaurant is great for us get at any of UDS group’s and it is also a good place hotels. A look at the menu to take the family. The food and service is good. It of Uday Surya would is a very pleasant eatery.” reveal the pricing too is

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BEAUTY

Your journey to looking extraordinary begins at

Wow Factor

Wow Factor MediCosmetic Laser Centre is a medical centre that specialises in Aesthetic Medicine, Dermatology, Aesthetic Laser treatments & Dental treatments including cosmetic dentistry.

It is located at one of the poshest areas in Trivandrum at Keston Road, Kowdiar which is turning out to be Trivandrum’s largest shopping destination with malls, lifestyle joints & eat outs of well known international brands.

Wow Factor MediCosmetic Laser Centre caters to men, women & children of all ages & provides a wide range of technologically advanced, evidence

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based medical & dental treatments. The doctors are well trained & experienced in their fields.

There is also a team of well trained support staff for the smooth running of the clinic.

The various treatments include general & paediatric dermatology, treatment of acne & it’s scars, laser hair reduction for excessive or unwanted hair, laser treatments for pigmented lesions,

skin rejuvenation, scar reduction, stretch marks, etc. We also do Botox & dermal filler injections for wrinkles & deep lines, chemical peels, Microdermabrasion, Mesotherapy , injection lipolysis, hand & feet rejuvenation, thread lifts, skin lightening, etc.

The dental treatments include general & Cosmetic dentistry including smile makeover using clear braces, lingual

METRO mart T H I R U VA N A N T H A P U R A M

Orthodontics, veneers, bridges, dental jewellery, white fillings, dental implants, dentures, root canal treatments, gum contouring, etc.

Wow Factor MediCosmetic Laser Centre is the first centre in Kerala to perform Biofibre artificial hair implant which is a high technology hair implant system. It’s advantages include a natural aesthetic result, painless outpatient surgery, provides gradual hair thickening, no stitches, no scars & suitable for all types of baldness.

various articles in leading magazines & part of the judging panel of variuos beauty pageants including Miss.Kerala 2013, says “our goal is to release your inner beauty with outer radiance by achieving the best possible aesthetic The Managing Director of result our patients desire Wow Factor, Dr.Asha Biju by using the latest, who is a leading aesthetic most advanced proven practitioner, author of techniques with minimum

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recovery time.

We understand everyone’s beauty aspirations and we are committed to promote health & beauty at affordable costs.

Your journey to looking extraordinary begins here........at Wow Factor MediCosmetic Laser Centre”.

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COVER STORY

Member of Parliament

Focus of our for future development of the city The 16th Lok Sabha Election is over after a very long election process that started on April 10th and ended on May 16th 2014.

People are looking forward to the future of our country with great hope and aspiration for good governance. The people in Thiruvananthapuram also look forward to a city that would make life of the citizens comfortable, peaceful and better. After a clear triangular contest in Thiruvananthapuram constituency, people expect the winner - Mr. Shashi Tharoor - to contribute his best in representing the constituency in the parliament, liaising and working for the growth of the constituency.

Thiruvananthapuram has a set of needs which has not been met and resolved yet, and many more new requirements also have come up which are very essential for the growth and development of this constituency region.

Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency comprises of the Legislative Assembly segments Thiruvananthapuram, Kazhakuttom, Vattiyoorkavu, Nemom, Kovalam, Neyyattinkara and Parassala. The newly elected MP should definitely have a vision for an integrated development of the said regions linking up the strengths of these areas and building up infrastructure for a wholesome development

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E M Najeeb

The major development project that requires initiative and support are primarily the Vizhinjam International Transhipment Container Terminal, development of highway NH47 from Thiruvananthapuram to Kanyakumari, development of Kochu Veli Satellite Railway Terminal and setting up of High Court Bench in Thiruvananthapuram.

Though the steps for constructing the Vizhinjam Harbour are going forward, a lot of support is needed from the Central Government. This project itself would bring in a lot of development for Thiruvananthapuram and Kerala as a whole.

region with Kovalam as the main attraction had developed as a front-running tourism region years ago. But later the importance of Thiruvananthapuram region had gone down and the focus was shifted to the Central and Northern Kerala regions. Though a number of tourist resorts have been developed along the coast from Kovalam up to Poovar, the region has not been groomed yet for international tourism, as seen in the other circuits in Kerala. A focused effort should take place with the support of the Centre to link up the main locations of tourist attraction and make Thiruvananthapuram region a unique tourist circuit.

Thiruvananthapuram

The Vizhinjam Port Project

plan.

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should be developed to greater extents to exploit all the potentials of being located at a very strategic position geographically.

Centre should support to develop a berthing facility at Vizhinjam providing fueling and up-lifting of food, water and other items needed for ships. Also, a major maritime university should be established in Thiruvananthapuram linking with the port that is coming up. The university should be a centre of excellence in maritime science and management in the South Asian region.

Thiruvananthapuram used to be known as a city of education with the strength of scores of educational institutions including professional colleges in different disciplines.

There are colleges for Arts, Engineering, Medicine, Ayurveda, Homeo, Agriculture, Hotel Management, Travel & Tourism, Bio-technology, Space Studies, Applied Arts, Music, etc. which could be elevated to centres of excellence with the help of the Government of India to make Thiruvananthapuram a city of knowledge and learning.

Observing the positive aspects of www.metromartdaily.com

Thiruvananthapuram, it is still the most pleasant residential city in Kerala.

Even now it maintains a natural good environment.

Unlike before there is a growing trade commerce and industry in this region.

For advanced learning Thiruvananthapuram is the most suitable place because of its geography, environment, facilities and connectivity. It is a centre of culture and literature. Kovalam, Poovar, Ponmudi, Neyyar, Aruvikkara, Kallar, Veli and Akkulam make the region an attractive tourism destination.But at the same time, the city and the sub urban region are affected by the growing congestion particularly on roads and parking areas, poor waste management, fragile water supply and sewage facilities, lack of parking facilities, poor drainage facilities, growing air, water and sound pollution, etc. An intensive and integrated plan should be developed to alleviate these problems and to exploit the favourable aspects. Waste management should be given the highest priority in Thiruvananthapuram region to bring it back to its old glory as the cleanest city in India.

Vilappilsala-the garbage disposal location should be made waste free to make the life of people

comfortable. Vilappilsala should be made a beautiful livable place.

Thiruvananthapuram city should also be made dengue fever-free city. The Member of Parliament of Thiruvananthapuram can do so much on this and give excellent leadership among the public to achieve the needed results.

Even if the development initiatives in many areas have to be taken up by the State Government the Member of Parliament June June 2014

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should use his powers to liaise and negotiate with the state and central administrations to achieve the expected development levels for Thiruvananthapuram.

What we need particularly for the Thiruvananthapuram region are the following -- which the people of Thiruvananthapuram have already taken up with the State Government as part of the Capital Region Development propositions. The Member of Parliament should look through the list of demands and see where all he can contribute in his capacity.

• Faster implementation of development Master Plan – Speed in implementation.

• Road network of highways, approach roads, ring roads, road corridors, etc. are there, but Thiruvananthapuram requires a total road system and its management.

• Drainage, rainwater management, watershed management to be given priority - ponds, wetlands, streams, rivers etc have to be restored.

• Restoration of heritage structures, monuments.

• Greening the entire

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Thiruvananthapuram region by planned social forestry efforts for planting trees.

• Developing green-lungs at different parts, even in outer areas.

• Frequent and faster public transport development and restriction of motor vehicles going to main areas of the city.

• Monorail, PRT to be introduced.

• Finalizing a fixed location for hoardings and posters. Hoarding and posters should not be allowed in public places.

Thiruvananthapuram should be made like the city of Delhi.

• Cleaning of Parvathi Puthanar river.

• Habitat centres.

• Develop parking facilities • Convention centres. at different locations.

• A planned environment management to be initiated in the region taking care of all aspects including the flora and fauna.

• More cultural centres.

• Technology acquisition for garbage disposal, sanitation and hygiene.

• Manufacturing units to be planned at the outer areas of the region.

• Academic centres to be planned at the outer areas to avoid congestion.

• The uniquely beautiful open area of Shangumugham should be developed as a world-class public recreation area.

• Veli should be developed and better utilized and made a world-class leisure location.

• Vizhinjam Port Development.

Many of the above are things that have to be taken care of by the State Government, local Self Government institutions, etc. But being the Member of Parliament from the constituency Mr. Shashi Tharoor should take the initiative to give leadership for the development initiatives and liaise with the State Government.

He should also be watchful of all the central development schemes and should get our due share from them for our constituency.

Mr E M Najeeb is one of the most successful entrepreneurs and eminent professionals in the travel and tourism industry in Kerala. He is the Chairman of ATE Group of companies.

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Most Liveable Indian Cities: Trivandrum comes top

The fourth issue of Liveability index, a study conducted by the Institute for Competitiveness every year, has unveiled the list of 50 liveable Indian cities. Mumbai jumps two places and grabs the first position, while Chennai and Hyderabad slipped one position each respectively from their last year’s rank.

According to the Liveability Index 2013, Trivandrum bags the top position within the state by securing the 19th position, followed by Kozhikode at 21 and Kochi at 24.

The study also shows that South Indian cities including Trivandrum, Nagpur, Pune, Nashik, Coimbatore, Madurai and Bengaluru dominate the top 20 slots. It also shows a negative shift in the ranks of few cities. Cities such as Kochi, Kozhikode, Jaipur, Bhubaneswar etc which earlier appeared as promising cities have faded this year and have

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fallen extremely from their previous positions.

safety of its citizenry, planned environment, proficient governance etc.

The Liveability Index is a measure of city’s living environment and perks that attract people to live in a city. It is very different from the concept of ‘quality of life’. According to liveability index, a city is liveable when it directly offers favourable living environment to its people and indirectly benefits as well as attracts the visitors. Favourable living environment includes various measurable factors such as strong infrastructure set-up, presence of quality education and healthcare,

The framework used for the study is an evolved adaptation of the worldrenowned diamond model of Professor Michael Porter of Harvard University. The study is based on 8 core pillars that are demographic, education, health and medical standards, safety, housing option, socio-cultural-natural environment, economic environment, and planned environment. The index is a direct measure of whether people will opt to live in the city and have a better frame of life.

METRO mart T H I R U VA N A N T H A P U R A M

LEADER SPEAK

Thiruvananthapuram ready for a facelift The new dynamic collector Biju prabhakar is all set to restore Thiruvananthapuram its past glory. Once hailed as the cleanliest city in Asia, Thiruvananthapuram the abode of Sree Padmanabhaswamy was neglected and relegated for many decades. Last five years, the city lost many good projects in the mire of petty politics. Here comes a collector who loves the city and is all geared up to give the capital a facelift. The enthusiasm and the grit he shows assures us that it will not be a shallow promise

To implement the task of refurbishing the city, the collector has formulated certain plans. First and foremost is to set up a residential school at the 79 cent plot which now accommodates Vanchi poor fund building and an LP school in Sree Chitra poor home. Thus the inmates of the poor home will have a full fledged residential school at a walk able distance Besides this there will be separate hostel facilities for boys and girls and a short stay home at Trida complex for women visiting the capital. An apartment for the Home warden at the proposed Trida complex is also on the anvil. The inmates of the home who got jobs will be shifted to Mahila mandiram with a fixed deposit of three lakhs for ten years .The interest of which could be used by the inmate on whose name the deposit is made. A proposal through www.metromartdaily.com

which each resident can be directly sponsored is also in the pipeline.

The collector plans to implement this within the stipulated time of three years.

Another major plan is to ease the traffic congestion at East fort.

The unauthorized vendors behind the present bus stand will be evicted and another bus bay at the back of it is also under consideration. Biometric machine will be installed at key places to control the parking time of transport bus and private bus.

At Killipallam by pass a sewage plant is planned.

First sewage treatment will be done through mobile incinerators.

Then after making public awareness a plant will be installed .As a part of doing away with slum the inmates of six hundred and thirty six in Chengal choola will be rehabilitated

through a comprehensive housing scheme.

Unauthorized inmates will be evicted from NGO Quarters at Melaranuur.

Roads connecting Poojapura.,Thirumala ,Vazhuthakadu ,Annie mascrin road will be widened .To reduce the sound pollution places of worship will be asked to control the use of loudspeakers Stray dogs that has become a menace for the city ,of late will be dealt in an effective way –says the vibrant collector.

If everything goes by plan, Thiruvananthapuram will regain its past glory befitting to a capital.

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ON FACE

Railways contribute to the development of the nation.

Indian Railways is now in one-billion-tonne club.

Thiruvananthapuram Divisional Railway Manager Sri. Sunil Bajpai started his career with the Railways in 1988. He has handled several key positions across India in the Railways.

Sunil Bajpai took charge as the DRM of Thiruvananthapuram Division about four months back. As Indian Railways starts its 161st year, Sunil Bajpai speaks to V. Viswanath of Metro Mart Thiruvananthapuram on various topics pertaining to this Division and gives an overall view of Indian Railways.

Sir, you have had extensive experience in different parts of India. How do you evaluate the position of Thiruvananthapuram Division?

I think this Division is a good example of a railway division. I have had experience in Western and Northern Railway and in Southern also. Here we have roughly close to 900 crores in passenger earning out of a total of 1300 crore earning. Lot of passenger traffic. So this is a passenger-oriented division. It is a good, wellrun division.

What new projects are identified for this Division, in particular for the safety and benefit of the passengers?

We need to separate the two things - safety and benefits. As I said,

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it is passenger-oriented.

So what it means is that we have to look at passengers requirements.

Which means, things like ease of access to the platforms, transfer - so an escalator or a lift or a skywalk and things like that. It could be noticed in Thiruvananthapuram we have started off escalators. There will be more escalators on other platforms. Lifts is one thing that can help those passengers who cannot use the escalator.

The passengers require clean stations. We have tried to get the platforms cleaned. If you try to go around the rest of the country, you will find that Southern Railway and Thiruvananthapuram Division’s platforms are quite clean. We have contracts to maintain them clean and I must appreciate that the passengers also tend not

to dirty the platforms. That helps us. There are special requirements in this area.

For instance, there are so many major pilgrimage centers. So we make special arrangements for pilgrims. We provided even bathing facilities in a couple of stations where they can come and have a bath and go on their pilgrimage. Like that we try to think about the specific requirements of the passengers in this area are and we try to provide them.

In terms of security, for instance, we are now installing integrated security systems in some of our major stations including Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram. With this, the entire station area can be watched from a central position, the baggage can be screened for safety. Even the incoming cars can be

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checked for any threats.

We have made use of the security system in a trial during the Attukal Pongala in Thiruvananthapuram, where more than 50 cameras were operational at all times. So that we were able to see where is the rush, what needs to be done, how they are to be handled. It was completely incident-free, very clear passage could be provided to the passengers. They could be guided to their platforms and trains could be moved fast.

Like that we are trying to improve the cleanliness, facilities. We have tried to expand the waiting areas, provide the passengers air-conditioned waiting room also on payment basis. We are trying to improve passenger areas in some other stations, for instance Varkala where we have building for booking office - both reserved and unreserved booking. In the space that has been released by them, we are building the waiting areas, and things like that. The climate is very warm. The sun is also strong and there is lot of rainfall. That is good for natural beauty.

But it is also difficult for the traveling passengers.

So we are expanding the cover available. We have certain norms, by which we provide the cover - so many passengers handled www.metromartdaily.com

in a station means so many feet of covered space must be provided. We are trying to provide more covered areas, so that passengers can get protection from the weather. There was a recent visit by the General Manager here. He inspected the works and he saw the condition of the platforms. He said, we should not go strictly by the yardstick which works elsewhere in the country, we should provide more facilities. So we are doing that for the passengers.

Also this is a very uniformly populated area. If you drive down even 100 kms, the population remains fairly uniform. So there is always a demand for new stoppages and we have introduced stoppages seeing the requirement of passengers.

What is the projection of passenger traffic for this Division in the next 15 years?

That is an extremely difficult thing to say, because it depends on what facilities we provide.

Passengers will be there if we have capacity.

And if we have to build capacity, we have to estimate passengers. So it is in both ways. There is a major project similar to a suburban train service.

There are some directions

available there. That report has been prepared by the consultants, which is under consideration by the Kerala State government.

They want to partner with the railways in developing facilities and expanding the capacity from Thiruvananthapuram up to wherever the double line is - up to Chengannoor. That report is being studied.

There was a discussion held a while ago. Those are the future long-time development plans. So the answer is that the number of passengers that travel by railways will depend on how the facilities are expanded.

It is everywhere - if more roadways are built, there is a cost attached to that, then more people will go on to roads. If investment is made in railways, people will move to railways. It is more energy efficient, cost efficient, and land use efficient to have railways.

So the Kerala government itself is thinking about expanding the facilities by investing in railways.

In your view, what other initiatives are necessary for the benefit of Thiruvananthapuram Division?

We already discussed the requirements of passengers and what we need to do to address June June 2014

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their requirements - in terms of passenger amenities and things like that. In addition to that, capacity enhancement, line capacity enhancement - which will come as part of the previously discussed report. If line capacity enhancement happens, then we can also augment and introduce new kind of rolling stocks. Other things, for instance, we are setting up laundries of our own so that we can provide clean linen.

If the capacity enhances, we will have more trains also for the passengers.

For ease of booking, we have opened several non-railhead PRS centers also. You can always come to a railhead-a station to buy a ticket, but you can also buy a ticket outside.

We have expanded our network in the last one year. People now do prefer to make bookings through the internet. That is done through IRCTC website - the railway initiative is to expand that site and its capacity.

By May we will have a greatly expanded ticketing capability on this website.

It is being significantly upgraded, so passengers should find it easy. Safety is another issue that we talked about. We need to understand it separately.

We have a very large number of gates. There

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are areas where there is a gate every kilometer or so. It is necessary that we have manned gates.

Unmanned level crossing gates are very dangerous.

Fortunately, in Kerala we have already achieved 100% manning of our gates.

In this division, outside Kerala, we have some very small gates which are unmanned. We intend to man them also within this year. As part of this capacity enhancement work, we are trying to provide subways, connectivity, etc., easier passage across platformsso that passengers would not have to cross tracks.

Passengers must not cross tracks - it is extremely dangerous, but it happens all the time. Because the main road runs next to the tracks, a lot of people keep crossing the tracks.

It is illegal, because it is dangerous. Train safety, we have good condition of the network. So, we do not anticipate any safety issues. Safety is important.

For the ladies also, we have tried to implement all the measures that were suggested. Where possible, we have shifted the ladies compartment to the middle of the trains, although that is a controversial decision that they are safer when they are they smaller in number with the guard rather than

in the middle. Especially because in the middle they have to have a passage, whereas in a ladies coach at the end, the vestibule can be closed, so they are more secure. But anyway we have shifted it wherever possible. Police escorting is also fairly extensive in the trains. We have not had any major incident in Kerala, in the last 4 months that I have been here. So I think both personal safety as well as operational safety are being taken care of. It is an emphasis that we have given.

The Indian Railways have completed 161 years. You have been with been with the Railways for over 25 years. What are your own views about the progress of Indian Railways?

I think Indian Railways has progressed very very significantly in the last 30 years that I have seen.

I joined Railways as an officer in 1985, so it is almost 30 years. Since I was on training before that, I have actually seen Railways for more than 30 years. We are now in one-billion-tonne club.

Railways are originating traffic of a billion tonnes of freight. There are very few countries in the world which have that kind of freight. All this increase

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has happened not in 30 years, but perhaps in the last 10 years.

Transportation output has really increased. 30 years ago, there was no passenger reservation system. You had to sent telegrams to get bookings from the other stations.

You cannot imagine that state of affairs, that is how it used to be. Today, you can book any ticket from anywhere to anywhere.

When the passenger reservation system was introduced, the maximum number of trains possible was only 999. Only that much space was provided, because they never thought that more than so many trains will be required in the passenger reservation system. Today, there are close to 3000 trains. Because that much is needed and the trains have become longer, better, faster. We used to have steam tractions in those days, plenty of steam tractions. There was steam traction till 1990s in Indian Railways.

Now we have only electric and diesel tractions.

So they have become cleaner, faster. They have eliminated stoppages. The reliability has gone up.

Punctuality is very high, especially on Southern Railways. So there has been tremendous improvement everywhere. www.metromartdaily.com

I remember in the days I had joined Railways, there used to be 2 Rajadhanis - one between Calcutta and Delhi and the other between Bombay and Delhi. Look at the number of Rajadhanis we have and Shatabdis we have and so many other types of trains that have come up. AC Express and now we have Premium Express trains also. Every year we introduce trains. We are expanding the network, we add more capacity to trains, increase the frequency of trains. So it has really gone up.

Number of passengers today is close to 30 million every day. It is a lot.

Railways have done very well. Compared to all other sectors, railway prices have remained fairly low.

We have delivered more by being more efficient.

We still has to pay the same price for steam as everybody else, which is a major requirement for us.

We still pay the same price for diesel and electricity, because that is what it costs. We have paid fare pages to employees and yet the cost of travel has not really gone up in the same proportion. There have been long periods when the fares have remained stable. That has been possible because of better efficiency and productivity - both of

the assets as well as manpower. In freight side, we used to have 4-wheeler wagons in those days.

Now we have 8-wheeler, they have a much larger carrying capacity. For the same number of trains we are carrying much more freight. They are more reliable. You can have a freight train running for up to 30 days now just transporting goods.

Earlier, where there were steam tractions and 4-wheeler wagons, every few 100 kms there would be loco change and the train will be examined.

We are happy that we are part of the main infrastructure of the country. We have contributed to the development of the nation. There is direct correlation between transportation output and the GDP, a linear correlation. It is not possible for GDP to increase unless transportation output also increases and vice versa. So we are a major transport provider for passengers and freight - of all the steam, coal and all the infrastructure, fertilizers, fuel, cement, food grains and even water.

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METRO FOCUS

NRI Fest at Czarina makes holidays even more memorable!

Czarina’s NRI Fest 2014 gives Indians living across the globe a chance to celebrate the country’s invaluable textile heritage. Timed to coincide with the annual arrival of NRIs to celebrate their vacations in their home land, the sheer beauty and elegance of the collection surely enhances the holiday cheer The collection consists of an eclectic mix of sarees sourced from artisans and weavers all around India.

The result is stunning.

While the NRI Fest gives Czarina’s customers access to the latest designs and fashions, it also ensures that the best traditions of India’s saree-craft are on display.

Sheila James Managing Director Czerina

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occasions to casual party wear, the NRI Collection has the prefect saree for every moment!

The best part of the collection is that you can team up your Czarina saree with a Czarina designer blouse to make a sensational outfit.

Blouse materials are available in brocade, As Trivandrum’s leading tissue, kalamkari and ikkat. designer boutique, Ready made blouses in Czarina has a well earned velvet net fabrics with reputation for quality the classic boat neck and exclusiveness. The and sophisticated halter NRI Fest is no exception. neck are proving to be Mesmerizing maheshwaris, blockbusters of the chic chanderis, cool season. Also available are kotas, tantalizing a range of trendy salwar tussars, sensuous silks, kameez material and crisp cottons, gorgeous ready-made sets for those georgettes...the range who prefer less formal of textures available wear. The showroom is is simply amazing. The located at the Catholic sarees in the collection Centre, Near General seem to shimmer as Hospital jn, Trivandrum. wonderfully rich colors To know more, log on offer the perfect contrast to our Facebook pageto elegantly pale sarees.

Czarina-The designer wear From heavy sarees that boutique. can be worn for festive

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METRO EVENT

Kerala State Tourism Awards for 2012-2013 presented Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, has presented the State Tourism Awards for 2012-13 underlining a commitment to speed up infrastructure development and roll out new services in the tourism sector over the coming months as the government’s “Mission 676” picks up pace.

Speaking at the awards function in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala Chief Minister said tourism as a key focus sector will get all support from the government to step up work on existing projects and revive others, including the Seaplane service.

A total of 23 awards in three separate categories were presented at the

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ceremony.

Minister for Tourism A P Anil Kumar who presided over the function said facilities including water taxis and hop-on, hop-off boats will be rolled out in the next couple of months.

He added that the awards themselves were a testimony to the fact that things are moving at a much faster pace than before.

The State Tourism Awards for 2011-12 were presented only four months ago. The process of identifying and honoring the winners for 2012-13 was completed in just four months, he said.

“We are happy to have cleared the backlog and become up-to-date on the awards; the next step to maintain this momentum for all our plans and projects,” he said, adding that the

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businesses, services and partners in tourism are the stakeholders driving the growth of the sector and the awards were an important recognition of their contributions.

The State Tourism Award winners were chosen by a high level committee chaired by the Tourism Secretary from a preliminary list prepared by a panel of experts constituted by the tourism department.

Kochi-based Lotus Destination Pvt Ltd was named the Best Inbound Tour Operator for 2012-13 and Riya Holidays Pvt Ltd, also based in Kochi, the Best Outbound Tour

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Operator.

Vivanta by Taj – Malabar in won the award for the Best 5-star Deluxe Hotel; Kumarakom Lake Resort in Kottayam won for the Best 5-star Hotel; Udaya Samudra Leisure Beach Hotel in Kovalam was named the Best 4-star Hotel; Marari Beach Resort in Alappuzha the Best 3-star Hotel and Coconut Lagoon in Kumarakom the Best Heritage Hotel.

The award for the Best Ayurveda Centre went to the Somatheeram Ayurveda Beach Resort in Kovalam and the award for the best Homestay to Thiruvananthapurambased Graceful Homestay.

Alappuzha Rainbow Cruises was named the Best Houseboat Operator.

Mr. Baby Mathew, Chairman & Managing Director of Somatheeram Ayurveda Group has received the prestigious Awards from Chief Minister of Kerala.

Somatheeram had fetched the coveted awards by considering its performance of excellence towards the Overall Health of Humanity, Social Responsibility, Eco-Friendly Concept, Environmental Preservation and Best use of IT in the Kerala State Health & Tourism sector.The Best Hotel Manager award went to P. Subramanian of Alappuzha Marari Beach.

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METRO UPDATE

Mampazhakalam

The good old is here again…….

Give me some sun shine….give me some rain…. give me another chance to grow up once again….. Yes, this is what you feel when you visit the summer camp “Maphazhakalam” organized by the Ministry of Culture at Vailoppilly samskrithi bhavan. Here the good old mambazhakalam enjoyed by the generation past is recreated by the organizers in a meticulous way. Kudos for the effort for they are giving back the children their child hood that is lost in the burning cauldrons of classrooms and training centres.

Decades back summer holidays meant excitement, joy, fun, frolic and carefree life. In those days kids visited their ancestral homes, got pampered by the grandparents, rejuvenated themselves for the year

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ahead by a splash in the ponds and pranks at the pals .By being one with nature they gained the life skill that enriched them to face the vicissitudes of life with ease. In the long run to capture the world we left our grandparents

Ampili Nair

in the old age homes and renovated the ancestral homes for home stay huts .Today’s kids glued to the TV sets and computers have become robots often dictated by mouseclicks sans emotions…… sans sensitivity .

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The shady premises of the Vailoopilli samskrithi bhavan named after the renowned poet Vailoppilli Sreedharamenon exudes a unique charm. The very air is excited to receive its vibrant guests .In between the sessions and break times they roam around freely with confidence braving rain and sunshine.

Away from the high tech gadgets of everyday life and the prying eyes of the parents, they enjoy the camaraderie and simple joys of life. Ensuring flexibility, adaptability and responsibility, the camp life also confer children the art of decision making.

Moreover their social life get enhanced, they become independent and will learn to live their life in their own terms. These days children are very smart, says Balu Kiriyath, member secretary of Vailoppilly samskrithi bhavan and the man behind the huge success of the summer camp. Last year he says Nikhil Kumar,

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the then governor of Kerala was overwhelmed by the response of the children for his queries.

We have organized the summer camp in five other districts this year and are planning to extend to other cities in the coming years. Education and awareness through fun and play is our maxim and we are hundred percent successful in it says the dynamic secretary.

Visit to Agricultural University, Chitranjali studio,IAS academy and the Mango fest at Kanakakunu was an exhilarating experience says Mithravindha ,a class 9 student of Shantinikethan..Other beaming friends of her were so excited and were calling her lest they miss the fun in between the sessions. The theatre session handled by Abhinaya theatre research centre director Raghuthan was another thrilling experience. Rather than

a lecture on theatre, he gave a practical training to children to come out of their cocoon to explore the latent talents. Children were taken into the world of illusion by ace Magician Muthukad. Students who came from other districts declared unanimously that here it was too fun to miss the family’. Far from the censures of elders, they learn to become independent and live their life as they wish it to be without the burden of the expectations of their parents. Nothing can match the rich experience they gain by staying together in a healthy enviorns.

All good things must come to an end and so the mampazhakaalam too‌ With a heavy heart they retreat to the warmth of their home and hearth or rather to the intensive training centres to live up to the dreams of their parents.

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HEALTH

Naturopathy Camp on Over Weight & Obesity at UDS, Kovalam Fat loss,Inch loss & Shape your body Naturopathy is the most cost effective and simple mode of treatment which is practically proven, based on the principle that The Healing Power is within the body itself. It also says by living in accordance with the laws of nature man can stay Healthy & Strong.

Uday Samudra Leisure Beach Hotel & Spa is conducting a Naturopathy Camp from July 4th 2014, the main focus of conducting this camp is to educate about the benefits of following Naturopathy principles and to maintain good health, and the highlight of this camp is to bring awareness on how to reduce Obesity & over Weight through Naturopathy. Weight reduction is one of the problems, stick to us, if we neglect our food habits and our food timings.

Once it sticks to us, it ruins us physically and mentally too. Due to heavy weight we may get diabetes, joint pains, irregular periods, cardiac diseases, etc. Many of us think a lot to try to reduce over weight, but never initiate.

Dr.Suresh Kumara B.N.Y.S, head of the Naturopathy Centre at Uday Samudra is an expert in Naturopathy & Yoga will lead the Camp,

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he believes that if we had taken pains to follow the laws of nature in our lives, Our lives would not have been as difficult as they are now a days and he also adds that most of the diseases are result from our sedentary life style & habits of eating junk foods, Smoking, alcoholism etc.

Uday Samudra the only unique destination offering different kinds of health & wellness facilities under one roof like Ayurveda & Panchakarma, Naturopathy & Yoga, Western Spa, and Dental Treatment.

Dr.Suresh Kumara B.N.Y.S, head of the Naturopathy Centre at Uday Samudra specializes treatments for Weight reduction called Slim & Shape Program, the duration of this treatment is about 10 to 15 days

under the supervision of Dr.Suresh Kumara, the treatment is purely based on the principles of Naturopathy, This Slim & Shape program includes simple treatments like fasting therapy ,exercise therapy , water therapy & mud therapy , along with Yoga & Special diet.

To keep learning more about your health,ContactUday Samudra Leisure Beach Hotel & Spa GV Raja Road, Samudra Beach, Kovalam, Thiruvananthapuram - 695527Tel 91 471 2485766/67/68, 2481654, Fax: +91 471 2481578 Email: info@uds.co.in

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EDUCATION

NIMS Dental College is to strive hard towards perfection in the field of dental health care A healthy smile is a bonus at any age. Too often older people, neglect the health of their teeth. It is never too late to learn the basics of oralhealth care.

The Noorul Islam College of Dental Science was started with the objective of providing quality dental education to the students to enable them to manage and treat dental patients independently and also to provide state of the art treatment facilities.

The college also has well equipped dental laboratories, auditorium and library, well stocked with all the latest books along with an exhaustive

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collection of scientific journals pertaining to the field of dentistry and allied subjects. The Noorul Islam College of Dental Science was started in the year 2006 with the undergraduate programme leading to the award of the degree Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS)..

The hard work and dedication put-in by the management and the

devotion and enthusiasm of the staff and faculty members combined with the passion and zeal of the students has allowed the Institute to scale new heights. The continuous perseverance of all faculty members has contributed towards the overall development and progress of the college. All the departments are well furnished, decorated and fully equipped with the latest and sophisticated

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equipments. The College has all the latest gadgets i.e. Digital Radiography, Orthopantomography, X-Rays, Dental Laser, Dental Operating Microscopes, Computerized RVG and the latest Dental Laboratories with all the necessary attachments. The BDS degree course which is approved by the Dental Council of India, affiliated to the Kerala University and Kerala University of Health and Allied Science.

The College has a teaching hospital with all specialties of Dental Surgery which provide routine and specialized diagnostic procedures and treatment like Maxillofacial and Orthognathic Surgery, advanced Conservative and endodontic treatment, aesthetic dentistry, ceramic crowns and bridges, cast partial dentures, Complete dentures, Dental Implants and Maxillofacial prostheses.

The aim of this Dental College is to strive hard towards perfection. The students of this Institute are benefited with technologically modern www.metromartdaily.com

dental education as well as simultaneous exposure to the rural population through community based service. Extensive preclinical & clinical training is imparted to the students at NIMS Dental College.

NIMS Dental College having a well equipped dental hospital with lot of patients. Our clinical students are getting to work on these patients under the guidance of well qualified teaching staffs.

The college has modern clinical department laboratories with state of the art equipments for clinical, preclinical and basic sciences. The institution conducts

series of workshops to encourage students to work on their own projects. This would stand them in good stead to make substantial contributions to dentistry in the future.Practical and clinical hours imparts quality education and professional training to the students to horn their professional skills.The hospital is part of Dental College which is one of the biggest hospital in Kerala.

Our students are getting clinical training here on General medicine and general surgery. They are having excellent clinical exposure as part of the clinical training in Medicine and Surgery.

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Trivandrum Chamber of Commerce and Industry Business Excellence Award winners 1. Sri M S Faisal Khan Managing Director, NIMS Medicity - Health Care 2. Dr Santhosh Koshy Thomas (Exec.Director, Hykon India Pvt Ltd) - Manufacturer 3. Sri T V Ramachandran Nambiar - Rahul Trading Company 4. Smt Rajida Martin (Managing Director Interglobe Money - Financial Service Exchange Pvt Ltd) 5. Sri.K.V.Vasudevan - Advertising Service (Managing Director, MamtaAdvertising) 6. Sri.Edapazhanji Radhakrishnan - Media Service Special Appreciation Award

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1) Dr.B.Govindan (Chairman & Managing Director Bhima Jewellery) Highest revenue earner for GOK consecutively for 4 years through GKSF June 2014 41

METRO EVENT

Toonz Safari ended on a high note The Toonz Safari, a journey through the animation world organised by India’s Top animation production house, Toonz Animation India was a crowd puller, with people thronging the Toonz studio at Technopark to be part of the three day animation safari.

The funfilled yet informative safari named “The Journey of a Story through Animation Production”ended on a high note with over 200 people participating. The safari which was from May 13th to May 15th was organised as part of the fifteenth anniversary celebrations of Toonz Animation.

“The safari was a novel experience for both kids and grown up alike, they were really amazed by the stages the toon characters goes through in an animation film making,” said Toonz Animation CEO, P. Jayakumar.

“The safari was organise with the objective to take animation to the masses and the huge turnout indicates that our endeavour didn’t went vain, the response from the crowd was fabulous and this has inspired us to organise more events involving the public”, he added In the Safari the participants were given

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a detailed presentation on the process of animation film making right from the scripting stage to the final production.

The Vice President, Toonz Academy, Vinod A S, took the participant through the journey and evolution of animation.

The participants of the Safari were welcomed

by Krishnakumar V, the National Head- Operations and Marketing, Toonz Academy and Ajith Kumar C, Centre Head; Toonz Academy proposed the vote of thanks. Every batch were given a live demo of the prestigious projects of Toonz and later taken to the Studio Tour, where they got a sneak peak of the live projects which are under different stages of production.

Special episodes of Toonz Animation’s prestigious projects like Tenali Raman, Kid Krrish, Jil Jil Genie,

pakadam Pakadai and Ninja Hatori were screened for the participants. They were also shown how a character gets shape and life as it begins its journey from the scripting stage and goes through the pre production, production, post production and gains the final shapes.

“The safari was a great experience, we were really amazed when shown the how the characters are created in a studio, it was a really moment to cherish, said, Sooraj, a student who was part of the Toonz Safari.In the animation safari the participant also got the opportunity to interact will the team behind some of the famous toon characters which Toonz Animation India have produced.

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METRO EVENT

Foreign Tourists Inaugurated World Environment Day at Somatheeram

Ayurveda Resort

Somatheeram Ayurveda Group ventures on a mission to encourage the propagation of Ayurvedic medicinal plants by planting 2014 Indian Gooseberry Trees (Phyllanthus emblica) in all their resorts and properties. Ms. Alessandra Brertondini, a Famous Italian Fashion Designer who inaugurated the program by planting an Indian Gooseberry Trees at the Somatheeram Ayurveda Resort in Chowara.

Somatheeram Ayurveda Group has selected to plant 2014 Indian Gooseberry Trees, due to its multipurpose uses in our daily life and its medical properties to control modern life style diseases. Amla fruit is praised as Dhatri (god of health) in Ayurveda.

In traditional Indian medicine, dried and fresh fruits of the plant are used. All parts of the plant are used in various Ayurvedic/Unani medicine (Jawarish amla) herbal preparations, including the fruit, seed, leaves, root, bark and flowers. Because of its unique qualities, Gooseberry tree is specially selected to plant on the World Environment Day, revealed by the Group’s Chairman, Baby Mathew.

Indian gooseberry seems to work by reducing total cholesterol levels, including the fatty acids

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called triglycerides, without affecting the “good cholesterol” called high-density lipoprotein (HDL).

the leadership of Baby

Somatheeram under

share it with the world.

Mathew has always kept the goodness of nature and it’s heritage in the core of their heart and

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METRO EVENT

HLL’s ‘WOW’ for women’s empowerment HLL Lifecare Limited has taken women’s empowerment one step forward with its initiative called ‘WOW’ (World of Women) to help women achieve the highest standards in physical and mental health.

A day-long seminar organised today as part of the initiative saw around 300 participants attend talks by experts and take part in open discussion about illnesses, nutrition, contraception and other issues that women generally tend to not talk openly about.

Organised in association with Community Medicine Department of Government Medical College, the seminar was inaugurated by ADGP R Sreelekha IPS.

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In her inaugural address she emphasised on the need of women to be more assertive and confidence. She also said that while some of the health problems in men are because of their own habits such as alcoholism, smoking etc; women often fall ill because they tend to put the well being of others in the family before themselves and end up with stress and neglect.

“Women must also concentrate on their own physical and mental well being to keep diseases at

bay,” she said.

HLL Chairman and Managing Director Dr. M. Ayyappan who presided over the seminar said that HLL place more emphasis on women’s health because “they are central to our society and its functioning”.

“We felt that providing quality healthcare to them was much more important.

We commitment is to ensure easy access of quality and affordable healthcare products to women,” he said.

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HLL as such has reached out to the vast population across in rural and urban India for delivering quality healthcare services at their door steps and has succeeded in providing innovative and affordable health solutions.

HLL Senior Vice President Marketing Dr Babu Thomas, University Women Association vice president Dr S Thankamoni Amma and Manager (PMG & WHT) A M Kadar spoke in the occasion.

Eminent medical professionals took various

sessions on health issues at the seminar. Regional Cancer Centre Assistant Professor Dr Kalavathy emphasised on the precautions to be taken against cervical cancer and breast cancer.

Corporate Research and Development Centre Scientist Dr G Rajmohan took session on ‘Contraception and dysfunctional bleeding’.

Nutrition specialist and state programme officer of Health Directorate Dr Anitha Mohan handled a session on ‘Healthy eating habits.’ Dr Hema from the

Gynaecology Department of Government Medical College and Dr Susmitha Priyadarsini Otta of Ayurvedic Research Institute spoke on menstrual hygiene.

HLL supported Hindustan Latex Family Planning Promotion Trust (HLFPPT) had also been conducting an intensive programme on menstrual hygiene and family planning for thousands of women in as many as seven states across the country as part of the National Women’s Health Week.

HLL auditorium to be permanent venue for

Sangeetha Nataka Academy THLL Lifecare Limited’s Sargam Auditorium in Peroorkada will now be a permanent venue in the state capital for the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy’s cultural programmes.

The Sargam auditorium will host cultural programmes every third Saturday of the month from 6 pm. Film screenings and ‘Kathaprasangam’ recitals will be organized www.metromartdaily.com

Playback singer Shri M G Sreekumar inaugurating Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy’s cultural programmes at HLL Lifecare Limited’s Sargam Aditorium. HLL Chairman and Managing Director Dr M Ayyappan, and Academy Chairman Shri Soorya Krishnamoorthy are seen.

initially and the Academy All of the monthly cultural will gradually include other events at Sargam will be open to the public. events in the schedule.

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HOSPITALITY

The Quilon Beach Hotel & Convention Centre Awarded Certificate of Excellence The city of Kollam has its first five-star hotel – The Quilon Beach Hotel. The hotel is situated very close to the pristine Kollam beach. Providing international level hospitality and services, the hotel has achieved a remarkable growth since its establishment. Along with wining and dining, a comfortable stay is ensured at this hotel. The hotel has been an ideal choice for accommodation for visitors to Kollam and its nearby places.

Yakoob Khan General Manager The Quilon Beach Hotel

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The Quilon Beach Hotel & Convention Centre has received a TripAdvisorÂŽ Certificate of Excellence award for the second consecutive year 2013 & 2014.The accolade, which honours hospitality excellence, is given only to establishments that consistently achieve outstanding traveller reviews on TripAdvisor,

and is extended to qualifying businesses worldwide. Establishments awarded the Certificate of Excellence are located all over the world and represent the upper echelon of businesses listed on the website.

When selecting Certificate of Excellence winners, TripAdvisor uses a proprietary algorithm

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to determine the honorees that takes into account reviews ratings.

Businesses must maintain an overall TripAdvisor bubble rating of at least four out of five, volume and decency of reviews.

Additional criteria include a business’ tenure and popularity ranking on the site.

“Winning the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence is a true source of pride for the entire team at The Quilon Beach Hotel & Convention Centre and we’d like to thank all of our past guests who took the time to complete a review on TripAdvisor, at the same time would like congratulate my Associates and HOD’s, without their untiring passion for customer focus, this Award couldn’t be possible, said Yakoob Khan, General Manager at The Quilon Beach Hotel

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& Convention Centre.

“There is no greater seal of approval than being recognised by one’s customers. With the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence based on customer reviews, the accolade is a remarkable vote of confidence to our business and our continued commitment to excellence.”

“TripAdvisor is pleased to honour exceptional hospitality businesses for consistent excellence,” said Marc Charron,

President of TripAdvisor for Business. “The Certificate of Excellence award gives top performing establishments around the world the recognition they deserve, based on feedback from those who matter most – their customers. From Australia to Zimbabwe, we want to applaud exceptional hospitality businesses for offering TripAdvisor travellers a great customer experience.”

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METRO UPDATE

Get quick access to City information

www.searchtvm.com

The ‘Searchtvm.com’, a search engine that aims at providing complete information about thiruvananthapuram easily and effortlessly has been materialised.

It has been devised suitable enough to find details on different services and products in Thiruvananthapuram. The prominent feature of this website is distance based searching of services or a business. Another noteworthy characteristic of this website is that every business firms can themselves faultlessly update their business data on it. Many firms has by now entered their details on the searchtvm.com This highly impressive service is the brain child of Pashintec Solutions in thiruvananthapuram. Hon MLA Mr Muraleedharan officially inaugurated the launching of this website at the Press Club Hall Thiruvananthapuram. He described the website as the bosom search engine of Thiruvananthapuram.

For business queries ring on 8281443587.

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AUTO MART

Bajaj Discover Launched

in Trivandrum

Bajaj Auto(Kerala)motor vehicle Sales and Marketing head Sadananda Swami Launched the latest model of Bajaj Discover 125M at Kallingal Bajaj Trivandrum.

Kallingal Bajaj Managing Director Kallingal Shafeek,Kallingal Shakeer,Bajaj Auto Area Manager Manoj Kumar were present.

The Discover is Bajaj’s mass market brand. And with the launch of the new Discover 125M, it has overhauled every single motorcycle under the Discover umbrella. But, before we talk about the bike itself, let’s look at how Bajaj operates in this segment. In Bajaj’s words, it is using two platforms – the M and

4-valves and two spark

and reasonably nimble

plugs.

which makes easy work of

the T/ST. The motorcycles

The foot pegs are a tad

based on these platforms

too high, the handlebar is

might look similar

positioned too close to the

but they supposedly

rider and the handlebar

use different steering

is a little too narrow for

geometries, different

our liking as well. The

swingarm lengths, and

footpeg also tends to

in fact, different seating

foul with the rider’s shins

ergonomics as well. It also

when crawling in bumper

currently uses two engines

to bumper traffic with the

for both platforms – 102cc,

foot on the ground. The

single cylinder, 4-valve unit

seating position apart,

with two spark plugs and

the 125M impresses. It is a

a 124.6cc single, again with

fun motorcycle. It is light

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negotiating through traffic.

It also has a very good low speed ride quality.

Not once did we feel the need to stand up and ride on the Discover 125M, and not once did its front end bottom out, even though we did go through some really massive potholes. The ride isn’t as exceptional at higher speeds or with a pillion on board, though June June 2014

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Name- Devika Vinod Address Yesel Bhavan, Janardhanapuram,Varkala Kerala,Pin-695141 School- Mother India International Public School Attingal,Trivandrum Class- UKG Hobbies- Drawing,Dancing

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Name- Biya T S Address 9/229(1),Sumangalam Jawahar Nagar, Kowdiar Trivandrum,Pin-695003 School- Lecole Chempaka Trivandrum Class- 6th Hobbies- Reading Watching Television

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Celebrating the raindrops with monsoon tourism The magic of monsoon brings out Kerala’s nature at its best. That is the specialty of Kerala - God’s Own Country. Everything is anew during the season. The nature lovers have a lot more to look out for such as waterfalls, blooming flowers, etc. This season is a fillip to the tourism industry. It provides the required pleasant climate for those who want to travel domestically. Kerala is considered a superior destination to visit during the Monsoon Season by the international tourists among all the other places available.

Major attractions include the serene waterfalls in and around Thiruvananthapuram such as Kallar, Courtallam. The visitors get a unique experience from the Meenmutty waterfalls and Kombaikani waterfalls at the upper reaches of Neyyar Reservoir.

Another popular getaway is Ponmudi - the hill resort with its winding pathways, and spice and tea plantations. The mist-laden hills of Ponmudi is soul-stirring. The approach to these sections is splendid with the rich treasure of flora and fauna.

Every year Kerala is the first state in India to receive Monsoons. That gives Kerala a good position for marketing the unmatched vibrance of the season and to attract travelers to visit Kerala during Monsoon time. The rugged charm of rainy season with sunny interludes, along with the lush greenery, streaming waterfalls, rejuvenation with Ayurveda etc..gives wide scope for an offseason campaign. For a long time, Monsoon Tourism has been promoted as a grand season by Kerala Tourism. Recently elements of Romance, honeymoon etc..have also been added in the campaign.

Being in a great destination like Kerala we should be able to fully utilize the potential of Tourism in the State. There should be multipronged approach in identifying good tourist areas, advertise effectively and bring in more tourists. With the increased inflow of tourists the State would also be getting good revenue. The success of this approach should be an example to world-wide tourist destinations. Let us act now and make sure Kerala has a large number of visitors during the Monsoon Season.

Siji Nair

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