60 upper primary government schools in Kerala to be upgraded this year

The Cabinet on Wednesday approved proposals to upgrade 60 government upper primary schools in the State as high schools this year.

The upgradation will be done under the newly launched Rastriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan sponsored by the Central government. The Cabinet decided to set up two benches of the Kerala AdministrativeTribunal in Thiruvanananthapuram including one with its Chairman and one in Ernakulam.

It also decided to discontinue the toll being collected at the Kaniyampuzha Bridge in Ernakulam district, as the specified period of 15 years for the toll collection comes to an end. A statue of Kesari Balakrishna Pillai will be erected in Thiruvananthapuram on the 50th death anniversary of the journalist falling on December 18 this year.

The Cabinet sanctioned Rs. 2 lakh to the parents of a seven-year-old boy Harris who went missing at sea near Beemapally here. Rs. 1 lakh each will be given to the next of kin of four persons who died in a road accident at Yakkara near Palakkad recently.

It decided to post IAS Officer Pradeep Kumar, who is returning from Central deputation, as Secretary for Irrigation, Coastal Shipping and Inland Navigation. Sanjay Garg, who is returning from deputation, will be appointed as Secretary (Expenditure) in the Finance Department. Ishita Roy will be posted as Secretary (Environment).The Cabinet also decided to post IPS Officer Sanjeev Kumar Patjoshi as Managing Director of Kerala State Road Transport Corporation and IFSOfficer P. K. Pathak as Managing Director of State Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (Milma). Ajith Kumar will be appointed as ProjectDirector of Kerala State Urban Development Programme.