Thiruvananthapuram: The State cabinet which met here on Wednesday took several crucial decisions, including providing a one-time aid of Rs 1,000 to each of the families living in the relief camps opened for rain- affected people.
The money will be paid to those who were in the camps till 6 pm on July 17 and the others who had stayed there and later returned to their houses. The government’s gesture is considering the loss of household articles, clothes etc. suffered by the people.
Other cabinet decisions
Coir marketing firm: The cabinet has given sanction to launch a new company to intervene in the coir sector with a paid up capital of Rs 10 crore. The firm, named Kerala coir marketing Pvt Ltd, will utilize modern technology to make the marketing of coir products competitive. The government will hold 49% of the equity, while the remaining 51% will be offered to the Kerala State Coir Corporation and other similar bodies.
Agricultural college: The regional research centre under the Kerala agricultural university at Ambalavayal in Wayanad will be upgraded as an agricultural college and the Bsc Agriculture (Honors) course will be started this academic year itself. There will be 60 seats for the course. The research centre already has the infrastructure required to conduct classes, including class rooms, labs and hostels.
At present, there are agricultural colleges under the university at Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur and Kasaragod. The new college in Wayanad will benefit students belonging to Wayanad, Kozhikode and Kannur districts.
Salary hike: The salary and allowances of 37 farm labourers attached to the Agency for Development of Aquaculture Kerala (ADAK) under the fisheries department will be revised.
Adalats: The cabinet has decided to accept the proposal to hold district level adalats by the Kerala state housing board to offer a one-time settlement to housing loan defaulters. At present, the total amount of loan defaults is Rs 215 crore.
Land for Guru statue: A plot of land measuring 8.02 Ares will be allotted to the cultural affairs department in Thycaud village opposite the Museum to install a statue of Sree Narayana Guru. The ownership of the land will be retained by the revenue department. The government had earlier decided to set up a statue of Guru as part of the 100th anniversary of his ‘Casteless proclamation’.
C-DIT salary: The staff of C-DIT drawing salary in the state scale will get the benefit of salary revision.
Pension sanctioned: Freedom fighters’ pension has been sanctioned for Sethu Amma, daughter of Panayil Krishna Pillai, who was the first martyr of the Kallara-Pangode agitation.
New posts: The cabinet has decided to sanction creation of 59 new posts to diversify and modernize the mobile forensic units in all police districts as well as the regional forensic laboratory in Thrissur.
Confidential assistant: Appointments to the post of confidential assistant grade 2 in Kerala Subordinate Judiciary will be shifted from the General category to the PSC. A separate CA grade 2 section will be created in Kerala Subordinate Judiciary for the purpose.
Industrial policy: The cabinet has given its nod to the Industrial – commercial policy which lays stress on creating new job opportunities through industrial growth. The draft policy was published earlier. The final document was prepared after considering the suggestions made by stakeholders during the meetings held by the government with them.
Under the policy, procedures for sanctioning new industries will be simplified and completed in a time-bound manner. More jobs will be created in rural areas by setting up micro, small and medium units utilizing the locally-available produce.
Non-resident Keralites, women, youth and ex-servicemen will be encouraged to start industries. Incentives will be given to private industrial estates also. Land will be identified in Malabar area to set up units based on natural gas.
Other proposals include special focus on installing waste management plants, measures to turn all public sector units (PSUs) profitable, expansion of PSUs with their profits, doubling the output at Malabar Cements and TCC and starting production of grey cement at Travancore Cements.
According to the policy, the state will exert pressure on the Central government to modernize all Central PSUs in Kerala.
Collaboration between State and Central PSUs will be strengthened and steps to take over PSUs like BHEL EML and Hindustan Newsprint which the Union Government has decided to privatize on shut down will continue.
Appointments: The Cabinet has decided to shift Joint Land Revenue commissioner N Padmakumar as Rural Development Commissioner. He will continue to hold additional charge of director of Coir.
Land revenue commissioner A J James will have additional charge of Road and bridges corporation MD.
Kudumbashree executive director S Harikishore will have temporary charge of MGNREGS mission director in place of Divya S Iyer, who has gone on leave.
All-party delegation to meet PM
Meanwhile, an all-party delegation from Kerala led by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan will call on prime minister Narendra Modi on Thursday. The team is expected to raise issues like the ration quota for the state, Sabari rail project, Kasturirangan report etc. Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala and representatives of other parties will be part of the team.
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