Kerala farmer reportedly missing from Israel returns to India
Kozhikode (Kerala) (PTI): A farmer from Kerala who went to Israel as part of a government-sponsored tour to study modern farming technologies and thereafter reportedly went missing returned to India on Monday.
The farmer, Biju Kurian (48), after landing at the Calicut International Airport at around 5 AM, told reporters that he is conveying his apologies to the Kerala government, state Agriculture Minister P Prasad, the 27 member delegation and the officials who were leading it.
Explaining his absence from February 17, when the five-day tour to understand new farming techniques from Israel had gotten over, he told reporters that he had gone to visit holy places in Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
Thereafter, he came to know about news reports that he was missing and so he did not know what to do next, the farmer claimed.
He also said that he had informed his family that he was safe and well with the help of someone else as he did not have internet or international calling facility on his phone.
Subsequently, with his brother's help he returned to India, the farmer said.
Kurian also said his visa was valid till May 8 and therefore, there was no illegality behind his stay back.
After he reportedly went missing, the state Agriculture Minister had said that the government will look into the incident.
The delegation had gone to Israel on February 12 and Kurian was found to be missing on February 17 after the study got over.
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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.
