Thiruvananthapuram 26-08-2011:The Government has decided to increase the paddy procurement price to Rs 15, said the Chief Minister here in a press meet after the cabinet meeting. Decision has also been taken to increase all the welfare pensions under the labour department  from Rs 300 to 400. All the arrears in this regard will be paid off soon. The employees of the closed industrial units_ Alind, Comtrust and the Travancore Rayons Ltd , Perumbavoor would get an Onam advance of Rs 5000 each.

Festival allowance at the rate of Rs 500 will be given to pre-primary school teachers and ayas. The resource teachers in special schools are entitled to get Rs 1000 each as festival advance, the Chief Minister said.  The members of the Lottery welfare fund will also get festival allowance of Rs 1000. The chief minister announced festival allowance to the workers of various plantations, coir factories, cashew factories which have been remaining closed. The temperory employees in the government sector will get Rs 1200 as festival allowance.

Land for judicial Academy.
Chief Minister said here today that the government had decided to allot five acres of land for the proposed judical academy in the state. The land will be provided in the Nedumbassery village in Ernakulam district. Speaking to reporters after the cabinet meeting the Chief Minister said the Chief Secretary has been directed to find out and hand  over two acres of land to SBI authorities for the construction of their regional office in Thiruvananthapuran district . The KSEB’s proposed policy will include  the proposal to provide five percent of the revenue of  wind energy units to the tribes on whose land the units are set up.