Curation Team
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: State cabinet on Wednesday gave in-principle approval to raise Rs 1,500 crore as a loan with govt guarantee from Hudco through KURDFC for LIFE Mission housing scheme.
Of the Rs 1,500 crore, Rs 1,100 crore will be used to provide funds for 1,27,601 houses under construction and Rs 400 crore will be earmarked for housing assistance to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe beneficiaries in gram panchayats where they form the majority of the LIFE list.
The borrowing will be spread over two years, with Rs 750 crore each in 2025-26 and 2026-27. The loan repayment will be made over 15 years by deducting from the development fund of local bodies through KURDFC, while govt will bear the annual interest from the budget.
Onam gift for Scheduled Tribes: A total of 52,864 Scheduled Tribe members aged above 60 years, excluding pensioners in central, state and semi-govt institutions, will be given Rs 1,000 each as Onam gift in 2025. For this, Rs 5.28 crore will be allocated from chief minister’s distress relief fund.
Bonus for PSU employees: Guidelines will be issued for paying bonuses to employees of public sector undertakings in Kerala for financial year 2024-25, based on the views of industries, planning and finance departments.
Creation of new posts: New teaching posts will be created in the five recently opened govt nursing colleges in Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Palakkad, Wayanad and Kasaragod. One assistant professor and one associate professor post each will be created in these institutions. Also, two assistant professors and one associate professor posts will be created in Nursing College Annex, Thiruvananthapuram.
In nine new KSBC FL warehouses started in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Kozhikode, three excise circle inspectors, three preventive officers and three civil excise officers will be appointed for one year.
Reappointment: Retired IHRD associate professor P Suresh Kumar will be reappointed as managing director of Centre for Advanced Printing and Training.
File adalat progress reviewed: Cabinet reviewed the progress of the file adalat being held from July 1 to Aug 31 for clearing pending files up to May 31 in the Secretariat and offices of department heads. Departments that failed to achieve the earlier targets will be summoned for meetings, and ministers and secretaries concerned will be asked to take stronger action.
Rebuild Kerala Initiative: Cabinet approved projects submitted by various departments for inclusion in Rebuild Kerala Initiative. Public works department’s projects cover three roads in Pathanamthitta and nine in Kollam. Local self-govt department’s projects include three roads in Vattavada panchayat, Idukki.
