The Kerala Cabinet on Wednesday decided to grant Rs. 5 lakh each as solatium to the families of three Malayali naval personnel who died in the explosion on board Sindhu Rakshak submarine in Mumbai.
A sum of Rs.3 lakh will be given to five persons who had lost their eyesight following surgery for cataract at the Kunnamkulam taluk hospital. Two others, who are undergoing treatment, will be given Rs.1 lakh each to meet medical expenses.
The family of those who died in the bus accident at Tanur will be given Rs.3 lakh as solatium. Rubeena Beevi, wife of Kabir who died in the accident, will be given a government job. She will also be provided with land for constructing a new house for which the Collector has been asked to locate suitable land. A private company has offered to build a house for her.
The condition of the colony near Ms. Rubeena’s current place of residence is pathetic. Residents of this colony do not have proper road access. On a directive of the Chief Minister, the Collector has submitted an estimate of Rs. 22 lakh for the construction of a concrete walkway to the colony. The Cabinet approved the proposal. A detailed project report will be prepared to ensure supply of drinking water to the colony. The decision regarding title deeds for the families who reside there will be taken based on the report of the Collector.
The Cabinet also decided to increase the daily wages of Home Guards from Rs. 350 to Rs. 400. They will also be given Rs.1,000 a year as uniform allowance. Besides, they will be given Rs.1,000 as Onam allowance. Pension of Khadi workers will be increased to Rs.500 from Rs. 300. Special allowance of Rs.5,000 will be given to 300-odd workers at the Alappuzha harbour during this Onam.
About 75 cents land belonging to the Forest Department at the centre of Kothamangalam town, where a timber depot is functioning, will be handed over to the Kothamangalam municipality for public use. A meeting chaired by the Chief Minister earlier had decided that a portion of the land belonging to the depot may be used for public purpose, after keeping aside land required by the Forest Department.
About 50 cents land with the Treasury Department, Kollamcode, will be handed over for the construction of a Fire and Rescue Services station.
The Cabinet gave approval for pay revision of staff in three regional milk unions under the State Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation. It also approved long-term agreement between the management and workers of Autokast, Cherthala. Five posts will be sanctioned to the College of Pharmaceutical Science under the TD Medical College, Alappuzha.
The Cabinet decided to set up three more regional offices under the Higher Secondary Department in view of increase in number of schools and courses. The Department already has offices in Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvanathapuram, and the new office will be located in Kottyam, Malappuram and Kannnur.
It granted Rs. 10 lakh to the P. K. Vasudevan Nair Trust.
