Rachana to celebrate silver jubilee with a grand event in Mangaluru
Mangaluru: Rachana, the Catholic Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mangalore is preparing to celebrate its Silver Jubilee on 3 November 2024, marking 25 years of service to entrepreneurs, professionals, and agriculturists. The event will be held at Cordel Hall, Kulshekar, Mangaluru, beginning at 6 PM.
Rear Admiral Nelson D'Souza, Commandant of the Military Institute of Technology in Pune, will serve as the chief guest. NRI entrepreneur Michael D'Souza and Rohan Monteiro, Chairman of Rohan Corporation, will be the guests of honour. The event will be inaugurated by His Grace Archbishop Most Rev. Dr. Peter Machado of Bengaluru, with Mangaluru Bishop Most Rev. Dr. Peter Paul Saldanha presiding.
Rachana President John B. Monteiro, Silver Jubilee Committee Chairperson Marjorie Texeira, and Secretary Vijay Vishwas Lobo will also mark their presence.
The celebration will also feature the launch of the Rachana Catholic Co-operative Society, an initiative aimed at supporting emerging entrepreneurs. A documentary chronicling Rachana’s 25-year journey will be screened as part of the event.
Rachana was founded following a workshop organized by the Catholic Sabha at Bendur Church Hall on 6 September 1998, under the leadership of Maritto Sequeira. This initiative, which brought together over a hundred Catholic business leaders from the diocese, led to the formation of Rachana on 1 November 1998, with its first general meeting held on 8 August 1999. John Alex Sequeira was elected as the association’s first president.
Rachana has played an instrumental role in motivating youth towards self-employment, providing training and industry insights through workshops, and celebrating accomplishments within the community. The organisation conducts regular meetings and events to foster knowledge sharing and growth among members. Since 2003, Rachana has hosted the prestigious Rachana Awards, honouring successful entrepreneurs, professionals, and agriculturists, with around 67 individuals recognised to date.
The current executive committee includes John B. Monteiro as President, Naveen Lobo as Vice President, Vijay Vishwas Lobo as Secretary, Walter D’Cunha as Joint Secretary, Nelson Monteiro as Treasurer, and other committee members dedicated to Rachana’s mission.
The press meet, held today at the Press Club in Mangaluru, was attended by key representatives including President John B. Monteiro, Convenor Marjorie Texeira, and executive committee members.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
No unannounced load shedding in Kerala, outages due to overload, says Minister
Palakkad (PTI): Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty on Saturday said there was no unannounced load shedding in the state, attributing recent power interruptions to temporary overload caused by high consumption.
Clarifying concerns raised from various parts of the state, the minister said the disruptions are not deliberate but occur when demand peaks, particularly between 10 pm and 11 pm.
"It is not being done intentionally. Power consumption has risen sharply, and when there is excessive and indiscriminate usage, the system experiences overload, leading to natural supply interruptions," he told reporters here.
His remarks come amid complaints that several areas have been witnessing frequent power cuts, often lasting around 15 minutes and occurring multiple times during the night.
Krishnankutty said the state's power demand has crossed 6,195 MW, putting pressure on the supply system. He added that around 70 per cent of Kerala's electricity is procured from outside, and existing power banking arrangements have been exhausted.
"We have approached the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to purchase more power. However, this will come at a higher cost," he said.
The minister said the government is trying to avoid increasing electricity tariffs and urged consumers to exercise restraint in usage to help manage the situation.
Responding to opposition criticism over the ruling LDF's earlier claims of a decade without power cuts, he said the current situation is not unique to Kerala.
A power crisis is emerging across the country, he said, and sarcastically asked the Opposition to take note of the role of natural factors in this.
Krishnankutty expressed confidence that the situation would improve within two days, while cautioning that long-term energy security would depend on enhancing in-state power generation.
He also warned that future generations could face serious challenges if adequate electricity production capacity is not developed within Kerala.
