THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State committee of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) has given the green signal for a revision of building tax.

Briefing reporters after the LDF State committee meeting here on Thursday, Front convener Vaikom Viswan said that building tax would be revised on the basis of a schedule to be prepared by the Local Self-Government Department in consultation with the local bodies and experts. The tax had remained unchanged for the last 12 years. The LDF asked the Local Self-Government Department to exempt poor families living in thatched and partially tiled houses from the tax revision and to fix the tax slabs depending on the nature of construction, he said.

The LDF convener said the LDF committee also asked the Government to do whatever it could to prevent entry of foreign and native monopolies into the field of retail marketing. The Government would invoke laws within its power to achieve this, he said. Asked whether any political agitation to protest against entry of such monopolies was being planned, Mr. Viswan replied in the negative.

Water disputes

He said the LDF committee cleared the proposal for a permanent expert committee on inter-State river water disputes and to seek review of the World Bank conditions for extending support for the Jalanidhi water supply scheme. It endorsed the proposal for creation of large-scale industrial infrastructure facilities under the aegis of Infrastructure Kerala (IRK) Limited, the company formed by the State Government for the purpose, he said.

Mineral sand

Mr. Viswan said the Government would explore the possibilities to have Special Economic Zones (SEZs) without hurting the interests of the farmers. Kerala would not, in any case, have SEZs that denied the rights of workers. There was also no question of the Government taking over agricultural land that was under cultivation.

The Government, he said in reply to questions, would strive to keep the exploitation of mineral sands within the framework of the public sector and would go in for private participation only if such a measure helped in value addition or use of specific technologies that were available only with the private sector.

On the Pathrakadavu project, he said the LDF discussed the issue and that what the Chief Minister had stated on the subject was reflective of the views of the LDF panel as well.

Replying to another question, the nominations for the Devaswom Board elections would be filed on Friday in consultation with the other coalition partners.

The LDF panel would meet again on May 9. Although the panel was supposed to continue its meeting on Friday as well, the meeting had to be suspended in view of the function being held at the Assembly to mark commencement of the golden jubilee celebrations of the Assembly on Friday, Mr. Viswan said.

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