The Cabinet on Wednesday recommended to the Governor the appointment of eight new members to the Kerala Public Service Commission to fill existing vacancies.
The recommended persons are N. Selvaraj (professor of College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram); P. Mohan Thomas (Government College teacher); K. Premarajan (Commissioner of Malabar Devaswom Board); Asokan Cheruvil (writer); M.K. Saheer (advocate); K. Usha (college teacher, Pathanamthitta); V.T. Thomas (advocate); and M. K. Jeevan (Director of Health Services).
Speaking to the media after the Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan said the date for convening the Assembly and presentation of the budget had not been decided. They had to be decided in consultation with Governor R.S. Gavai.
The Chief Minister said the Cabinet had decided to extend the scheme for one-time settlement of housing loans taken from the State Housing Boards up to June 30.
Farmers who faced distress in Wayanad district from fall in prices of agriculture commodities and floods would be required to repay only the loan and interest under a special package for the district. This package too would be in effect up to June 30.
Mr. Achuthanandan said the Cabinet had resolved to include undervaluation cases pertaining to the period between April 1, 2009, and March 31, 2010, also under the one-time settlement of undervaluation of property for payment of stamp and registration duties for land transactions.
He announced that transfer of land to local-self governments, given free of charge for EMS Housing Scheme, would be exempted from stamp duty.
Posts of 35 teachers and six laboratory assistants would be sanctioned to six schools upgraded as higher secondary schools under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Department.
