Rubber Board official holds talks with Archbishop Pamplany; stable prices likely on agenda

Thalassery: Vice-Chairman of Rubber Board, KM Unnikrishnan, called on Archbishop Mar Joseph Pamplany of the Thalassery Archdiocese of the Syro-Malabar Church on Friday.

Unnikrishnan met the Archbishop at Thalassery Bishops House at 8 am. The meeting went on for half an hour. Both reportedly held talks on how to ensure stable rubber price in the state, said sources.

The meeting is significant as it happened days after the top cleric highlighted the plight of rubber farmers and promised they would support the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls if the Union Government raised the price of natural rubber to Rs 300.

"...whichever be your party, we will vote for you if you raise the rubber price to Rs 300 and take the rubber from the farmers. Then the people of the high-range will give you an MP," the Archbishop had said a few days ago.

Unnikrishnan is also a leader of the BDJS, which is an ally of the BJP in Kerala.

A few BJP leaders had also met Mar Joseph Pamplani on Tuesday. BJP Kannur District President N Haridas confirmed that the Archbishop shared his concerns on the current rubber price.

As reported earlier the Kerala Government on Friday allotted a production subsidy of Rs 23.45 crore to rubber farmers. The rubber growers have begun to receive the subsidy amount through their bank accounts.

All subsidies due till February 28 have been allotted in the current instalment, the state finance minister's office said.