Rs.700 crore for welfare pensions before Onam

The Chief Minister said the Cabinet could not take a final decision on the revival package for the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation on Thursday also.

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. File photo

The Cabinet on Thursday allotted Rs.700 crore for payment of welfare pensions, including arrears, before Onam.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told the media after the Cabinet meeting that orders in this regard would be issued immediately and funds released by next week. As some panchayats had delayed disbursements of the pensions last year, Finance Secretary had already held talks with secretaries of departments concerned to ensure payments before Onam.

The Chief Minister said the Cabinet could not take a final decision on the revival package for the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation on Thursday also. However, Rs.52.27 crore would be released from budgeted Plan funds to the Corporation. Besides Rs.200 crore would be sanctioned under head of capital expenditure for purchase of buses. In addition, the government would stand guarantee for it to avail of a loan of Rs.300 crore.

The State Civil Supplies Corporation would be granted Rs.50 crore for market intervention during Onam season. Horticorp and Consumerfed would be given funds equal to that granted last year for market intervention.

Contractors’ stir

Mr. Chandy said an ordinance would be brought to settle the complaints about double taxation by public works contractors who were on strike over the issue. The purchase tax proposed would be withdrawn and the existing compounded tax would be increased from three to four per cent. Ordinance was being proposed as the Assembly had already passed the Finance Bill. The work bill arrears payable to the contractors would be cleared up to December 2013.

Central team

He said a seven-member high-level team from the Centre would visit the State on Friday to hear about Kerala’s complaints relating to the Coastal Regulation Zone. The team would hold discussions with officials of Industries, Tourism, Local Self-Government and Fisheries departments. As the regulations had already been enforced, the fishermen were finding it difficult to even repair their houses in the regulation zone.

Mr. Chandy said the Cabinet had discussed the proposal for granting subsidy on electricity charges to domestic consumers and the proposal had been referred to the Finance Department for scrutiny. The next meeting of the Cabinet would decide the matter.

Asked about the issue of renewing licences for closed bars, he said the issue was on the agenda for UDF meeting for the first time. All issues that had been included in the UDF’s agenda had been resolved.