The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : CMP moots rain calamity fund

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Tuesday, Feb 10, 2009
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Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

CMP moots rain calamity fund

Special Correspondent

Thiruvananthapuram: The Communist Marxist Party, a constituent of the United Democratic Front, has suggested a monsoon calamity fund to protect farmers and infrastructure from the vagaries of the monsoons that severely affect the State every year.

In a memorandum submitted to the Thirteenth Finance Commission, party general secretary M.V. Raghavan urged it to consider crop insurance schemes to protect agriculture labour and adivasis who had been facing acute unemployment and poverty owing to the shift from agriculture.

The memorandum, pointing out the demographic change that had taken place in Kerala during the past three decades, wanted the commission to consider support to labour welfare boards to meet the increasing cost of pension to the working class population.

The memorandum wanted the commission to take a favourable stand on the State’s problems related to second generation issues of development.

The total devolution of resources to all States had to be increased from 30.5 per cent to 35 per cent, and 10 per cent over and above this sum should be devolved to the panchayats.

The memorandum urged the commission to give special attention to the health sector as it required a revamp. The sector accounted for a major portion of the non-Plan expenditure of the State and required special attention. On e-governance, the memorandum urged the commission to study the huge recurring expenditure incurred by the States, particularly for training.

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