KERALA STATE SOUGHT RS 11,000 CRORE PACKAGE FROM CENTER
The team led by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and sought over Rs 11, 000 crore special financial package for the development of the state. CM was accompanied by a delegation of eight cabinet colleagues. Singh promised to take up the issue with Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and see what could be done to reduce the stress of debt on the State government.The Prime Minister agreed that Kerala, along with Punjab and West Bengal, is having debt stress and told Chandy that it was everybody's responsibility to control debt. The centre also promised the delegates that the Malabar Cancer Centre in Thalassery would be uplifted to the status of Regional Cancer Centre. Kozhikode Medical College hospital would be given recognition as centre of excellence and for it Rs 180 crore was allotted.
The CM requested Singh to help Kerala meet the responsibility for paying compensation to endosulfan victims as directed by the National Human Rights Commission. CM later said that PM had assured him that the Kochi metro project would be implemented in the model prescribed by the state.The package presented by the state includes writing off central debt of Rs 2924 crore, Rs 477.11 crore endosulfan compensation package and help for Vizhinjam project. The Kerala team took up the issue of giving classical language status to Malayalam and Singh agreed to refer it to experts in this field for taking a decision. Chandy brought to the notice of the PM the need for a change to, or clarification about, the cabotage law, which restricted the freedom of foreign containers to move along the Indian coast. Vallarpadom container terminal would be examined by the persons concerned.
The treatment facilities for pilgrims in Sabariamla would be increased. The delegates also met railway minister Dinesh Trivedi and he assured that Kottayam, Chenganoor railway stations, which are mainly dependant by Sabarimala pilgrims, would be given the status as pilgrimage railway stations. Union commerce minister Anand Sharma gave assurance that they would consider implementation of Kochi-Coimbatore industrial corridor. The meet of South zone industrial ministers would be held at Thiruvananthapuram on December 9. The delegation also asked to give financial aid to the Coir Kerala International Mela to be held in Alappuzha on February 12. When Kerala government gave an assurance of completing the construction of bridge connecting two parts of smart city project site, center assured to speed up procedures to give SEZ status completely.
Prof. John Kurakar
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