The Cabinet on Wednesday decided to increase the seats for Plus One courses in the State.
Briefing the media, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said institutions with Plus One courses would be allowed to increase seats by 10 per cent. More students had qualified for admission to Plus One courses this year and hence the decision.
Mr. Chandy said the Cabinet had discussed reports on the floods. Crop loss was the maximum in Alappuzha district. The government will hold discussions with people’s representatives on Thursday and announce compensation. Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash was already in Delhi to seek Central assistance, and he would submit a memorandum to the Union Home Minister and others on Thursday.
He said the government would pay Rs.10 lakh as solatium to the next of kin of Indo-Tibetan Border Police soldier Joemon who was killed in a helicopter crash during relief and rescue operations in Uttarakhand. The next of kin of Noushad, who was killed in a paragliding accident at Muthalappozhi, near Perumathura in Thiruvananthapuram, would be given Rs. 3 lakh.
An innovation council on the lines of the one headed by Sam Pitroda at the Centre would be formed in Kerala as suggested by the Centre. The Cabinet had named the former Chief Secretary K. Jose Cyriac as chairman of the Council.
Consumerfed will be sanctioned Rs. 25 crore for its market intervention measures. Special support will also be provided to State Civil Supplies Corporation and State Horticulture Development Corporation for market intervention during Onam.
