Kerala - Kottayam   

NSS plans schemes for youth, women

Staff Reporter

Rs.50-crore budget focusses on new initiatives

KOTTAYAM: The annual budget of the Nair Service Society (NSS), presented by its general secretary P.K. Narayana Panicker on Saturday, shows an income and expenditure of Rs.50 crores and focusses on new initiatives, including support to unemployed youth and empowerment of women through self-help groups.

The Nair Prathinidhi Sabha, which met for the budget session, also adopted the revised budget for 2005-06. Last year's budget had envisaged an income and expenditure of Rs.49.75 crores. The revised budget shows an income of Rs.34.15 crores and an expenditure of Rs.32.87 crores.

Presenting his 23rd budget in a row, Mr. Panicker said the society had set up a Department for Social Service with the aim of extending necessary help to unemployed youth. As a first step, measures will be initiated for the formation of self-help groups for women. The aim is to identify suitable enterprises and set up marketing networks through these groups at the Taluk Union level. A sum of Rs.25 lakhs has been earmarked for the purpose in the budget.

The budget has allocated Rs.1.75 crores for taking up infrastructure development works and Rs.1.07 crores for maintenance works in various aided colleges under the society. The budget noted that 10 of the aided colleges run by the NSS had registered 100 per cent pass at the undergraduate level. NSS has also submitted application for sanction to start aided art and science colleges at Parakkulam, near Ottappalam, and for starting new courses in its colleges at Ottapalam, Nemara, Mancherry and Vadakkancherry. The budget has earmarked Rs.12.5 lakhs for taking up agriculture on excess land on various college campuses.

The agriculture segment envisages an income of Rs.5.63 crores and the budget plans to take up high-yielding variety of cardamom in 50 acres at Nellypathy plantations. One of the biggest segments is the health sector where the NSS plans to invest Rs.17.63 crores in various hospitals. This includes infrastructure development works at Pandalam Medical Mission Hospital and Perunna Medical Mission Hospital to turn them into super specialty hospitals. The work on a ayurveda hospital is also progressing, Mr. Panicker said.

According to the budget, the combined estimated worth of the Karayogam properties is Rs.103 crores and that of the Taluk Unions is Rs.56.5 crores.

The Prathinidhi Sabha has re-elected P.V. Neelakanta Pillai as president for the second consecutive three-year term. Elections to the nine positions that fell vacant on the director board were filled at Saturday's session. The members elected to the board are: M. Sasikumar (Karthikapally), K. Naryanan Nambiar (Taliparamba), P.N. Rajendraprasad (Eranadu), N. Kesava Pillai (Kunnathur), Harikumar Koickal (Changanassery), P.B. Moha Kumar (Muvattupuzha), M.S. Mohan (Ponkunnam), R. Ramachandran Nair (Ambalappuzha), and V.P. Haridass (Ottappalam).

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NSS plans schemes for youth, women

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