The government will initiate steps to expedite recruitment to the Kerala State Cooperative Bank through the Public Service Commission, Cooperation Minister C.N. Balakrishnan said.
Replying to questions in the Assembly on Wednesday, Mr. Balakrishnan said that recruitment will be made from the PSC rank list soon. Core banking system will be introduced in KSCB and district cooperative banks and urban cooperative banks. The government has no plans to dissolve the director boards of cooperative banks. While the LDF government dissolved the director boards of 53 banks, the UDF government has not taken any such step, he said.
Minister for Agriculture K.P. Mohanan said that the government has urged the Centre to include dairy farmers in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and the latter has agreed to consider the demand.
Minister for Culture K.C. Joseph said that pension given to indigent artistes will be revised in the next financial year. At present 1,760 persons were availing themselves of a monthly pension of Rs.550. As many as 716 applications were awaiting government clearance. More persons will be brought within the ambit of the pension scheme and the name of the scheme will be changed from Indigent Artistes Pension Scheme to Artistes Pension scheme.
A Non-Resident Keralites Legal Aid Cell has been planned to give legal support to Keralites settled abroad. A sum of Rs.2.14 core has been set apart in the budget for constituting the cell. This cell will function in coordination with the organisations of NRKs abroad.
Labour Minister Shibu Baby John said that the government will take steps to prevent unauthorised transfer of the labour cards issued to headload workers.