Category: Business in Kerala

Does the ATM/Debit Card Expire ?

Yesterday I got a new Visa ATM card for my Federal Bank Account. The expiry date is in 2017. The previous card was valid only for 3 years and the new one has a validity period of 10 years. I was told the old one will work without any problems. I tested and it indeed worked. I guess the bank auto renewed the old one and associated it with my account. Since the new one has a different card number, there’s no conflict of PINs.. However I just changed the new one’s PIN to the old one. So if you have a Federal bank account and thought that the card expired on expiry date, don’t worry, you an continue to use it.

All Kerala BJP Hartal

Another week, another hartal. Today’s hartal was initiated by BJP, against the formation of Salem Railway division. Does the hartal make any difference. Yeah the only difference is that it can push Kerala backwards, by a day. The political parties are just using people who are already lazy. I heard on some interviews that people really welcomed the Hartal quoted by a BJP leader.

For me, today was not as productive as the previous hartal day. Spent a lot of time on the net but didn’t actually add any content. Did some research of voice cards. Found that Dialogic doesn’t belong to Intel anymore.

First Hartal after I resumed blogging

Today, 27-10-07 we are celebrating hartal. By we, I mean people of Palghat, Malapuram, Calicut, Wynad, Kannur and Kasargod. This time its initiated by Muslim League. The party that is the opposition to the state government and which is part of the coalition in the Central Government. The reason for the Hartal – protest against Airport authority and central Govt. for ignoring Calicut airport, against delayed flights and what not. The ignorance and partiality against Calicut Airport is a known fact. Calicut Airport and its passengers have been the cash cow for Air India, Indian Airlines aka Indian through Gulf Malayalees since the Airport was started. They have ensured that no other major international air line  will operate and steal its profits. Delayed flights, abused passengers both by airline authorities and customs is something that happens on a daily basis.

The question is how to act and not react to such problems. To be honest, many a time I too have felt like giving a bang when the airport authorities gave stupid reasons for delayed flights. But doing so wouldn’t solve the problem. This hartal is just going to put the malabar area of Kerala one more day behind. ( Oh! on a side note, I enjoy it 🙂 I can sit and write peacefully about this without any disturbance. I enjoy this silence..)

I was just thinking of a way to react and just thought about Gandhiji. May be the passengers and everybody interested should decide a month of boycotting Calicut Airport let there be a total loss for the airport and airlines for a month. Ideally it should be July August time where the maximum milking takes place, that’s the time when the Mallu’s in Gulf return after vacation. I know there would be lots of inconvenience, but that should be borne by those interested. May be those in the gulf should not take the vacation to Kerala. I think that kind of action by the masses would be more effective than these dump hartals which are clearly politically motivated. For this to happen, there has to be a long term plan, a great leader to initiate the action plan. Anybody’s willing to volunteer ?

Please do post in your opinion using the comment form below..

Another Hartal

I think, I’ll have to select another title, with all these hartals.  Yesterday (24/3/07) I celebrated the Hartal which was applicable only to Calicut District. Initiated by BJP, for going and getting beatings from the Police. The protest was against getting loans from ADB. Why don’t people find more creative and productive ways to protest ? After everything is over, the party claims that it was a success. Its a success for the growing laziness of the people who are in Kerala.

I was happy as I could complete a hardware cum software poject for my friend.

“Kerala, not ideal for business”

“Kerala not ideal for running business”, says Joy Alukkas. It took so long for him to understand. With hartals,donations, party and bureaucracy threats, labour problems and what not.

It was just a day before that I told my Mom how stupid the tax structure was. I wish I could meet the Finance Minister Mr. Thomas Issac. I have 2 years and 10 months of  data that can prove running a coconut oil mill with the current taxation is impossible. Then how does it run, you might ask, its through tax evasion. If there’s one person who’s not eveding tax in the local sale only, coconut oil business, I might be surprised. The sales tax is one of the most stupid tax you can have that too 4% for coconut oil. The price of something that varied from Rs.80 per kg to the current Rs53 per kg, within the span of just 2 years and 10 months.

Actually I feel the tax rate should be something like 0.1%, for locally manufactured/ processed stuff to encourage local manufacturing. This tax should be collected in full force, without exceptions and exemptions, irrespective of the size of the firm.

Enter digital cinema

There was a digital Cinema demo at Calicut Davison, by Real Image of Madras. They have brought up the qube brand. The server runs XP embedded and apparantly they have a custom version of a projector from delta. Its made to survive the temperature and humidity of Indian conditions, but require AC. The cost should range from 7.5 to 10 lakhs and that does not include the server, which is FOC and property of Real Image. The picture quality was excellent and the maintanence is mainly replacement lamps which cost about 20k and lasts for only 1500 hours. The system is a closed one where the service technician will have to come and load the movie from a pocket harddisk. A 3hr movie might take around 80GB Uncompressed.

Looks like its a wait and see. With funding from Intel, Real Image might have the resources.