The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Hunger-free status for State soon: Minister

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Wednesday, May 19, 2010
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Kerala

Kerala - Kochi

Hunger-free status for State soon: Minister

Staff Reporter

Anniversary fete of government launched

All ration cardholders to have health coverage of Rs. 70,000
All pension dues cleared and increased to
Rs. 300 per month

KOCHI: Fisheries and Registration Minister S. Sarma has said that Kerala would become the first State in the country to have hunger-free status by June.

Delivering the inaugural address at the district level celebrations of the State government here on Tuesday, Mr. Sarma said that the State would achieve this feat through the distribution of rice at Rs. 2 a kg to its 35 lakh ration cardholders.

Through the EMS Housing Scheme and the health scheme of offering insurance coverage to the tune of Rs. 70,000 a year to ration cardholders, Kerala would also become a State with housing for all and universal health coverage, he said.

Mr. Sarma said that owing to the prudent and scientific fiscal management under Finance Minister Thomas Isaac there was no treasury ban during the last four years of the LDF government rule even as the government powered its development projects for the State.

The Minister said that pension for 30 months to the poorest of poor was pending when the LDF government came into power.

Not only was there any pending pension during the four year rule but the pension was increased from Rs. 120 to Rs. 300, the Fisheries Minister said.

Stating that the government had given prominence to strategic development projects, Mr. Sarma said construction of an airport in North Kerala is likely to begin this fiscal year.

He said that when LDF came to power not even a cent of land had been transferred to the Cochin Port Trust for the International Container Transhipment Terminal at Vallarpadam.

“The entire land for the project to be commissioned in August was acquired and handed over during the period of this government,” Mr. Sarma said.

The government, he said, was moving ahead to launch the construction of the Vizhinjam Deepwater Container Transshipment Terminal during this financial year itself. The number of public sector undertakings in the State increased from 7 to 37 during the period even as no single public sector unit was privatised, the minister said.

Transport Minister Jose Thettayil presided.

District panchayat president P.S. Shyla presented the achievements of the district in the last four years.

P. Rajeev, MP, MLAs M.K. Purushothaman, Saju Paul, M.M. Monayee, and Babu Paul, and Mayor Mercy Williams offered felicitations.

District Collector M. Beena welcomed the gathering.

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