Guidelines for the education loan repayment scheme announced by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will be issued soon, Law Minister A.K. Balan has said.
Replying to a submission of P.C. George on the concerns of those who had availed themselves of education loans in the Assembly on Wednesday, Mr. Balan said the government was aware of the general concern that banks may pocket the benefits and students would not be benefited. The scheme was meant to repay the loans and the government would address such concerns too. Guidelines for the scheme would be issued soon, he said.
Mr. George said the government should ensure that the State-Level Bankers’ Committee is apprising it of the principal amount of such loans and it should benefit the students. Many banks were not even passing the subsidy offered by the Centre to such loans to the real beneficiaries. Mr. Balan assured that the benefits of the scheme would not be taken away by the banks and it would reach the students itself.
Replying to a submission of V. Abdurehiman on improving the functioning of the State Insurance Department, Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac said that an insurance consultant would be engaged for evolving a plan for improving the functioning of the department. The question of enhancing the staff strength would be considered after completing computerisation, he said.
In reply to a submission of N. Vijayan Pillai on improving the functioning of the Maritime Institute at Neendakara, Minister for Ports Kadannappally Ramachandran said the work on the building would be completed soon and courses would commence from 2018-19.
