Latest news with #ChiefMinister'sDistressReliefFund
New Indian Express
11-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Cabinet approval for registration fee exemption for LIFE Mission land
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Cabinet meeting has decided to exempt stamp duty and registration fees for land pooled for the LIFE Mission free housing project of the government. This is applicable to land parcels received as donation, sale or any other mode. The beneficiary will have to submit a certificate from the district collector or a tahsildar assigned by him stating that the land is for house construction under the Mission. The exemption is for two years from the date of order. The meeting approved the tripartite agreement for the Wayanad Township project. Project's special officer S Suhas has been assigned with its implementation. A tribal taluk supply office will be established at Attappady. Rs 95,32,500 will be sanctioned from the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) to provide assistance to 473 people who lost their houses, either fully or partially, in natural disasters in Pathanamthitta since 2023. The meeting decided to implement the Telecommunications (Right of Way) Rules 2024 in the state. Retired district judge E Baiju will be reappointed as Kerala Lok Ayukta Registrar for another two years. Retirement age in Kerala Feeds, the PSU under the Animal Husbandry Department, will be raised from 58 to 60 years. Rs 2.86 lakh will be sanctioned from the CMDRF to reimburse the treatment cost of literacy activist late K V Rabia. The government guarantee for the Kerala Social Security Pension Limited will be raised from Rs 6,000 crore to Rs 14,000 crore.
Hindustan Times
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Kerala minister slams Centre for foreign aid nod to Maharashtra
Kerala finance minister KN Balagopal accused the BJP-led Union government of bias and violating federal principles after the latter permitted the Maharashtra government to accept foreign donations for the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF). On Sunday, the Kerala FM told reporters that while the state was not opposed to Maharashtra getting foreign aid to deal with impact of natural disasters, the law must be made equal for all states. He pointed out that the Union government had denied permission to Kerala to accept foreign aid in the backdrop of the century's worst floods in 2018 even as other countries like UAE were ready with offers to help. 'It is a good thing for any state, dealing with disasters, to get help. Granting approval to the state is also good. But the Union government's stand over this clearly reeks of political bias. When floods affected almost every part of Kerala, the state had stood up to ask for aid. There were Malayalis from around the world and other countries that were willing to help. But the Union government did not permit the state. Now, Maharashtra has been permitted for the same. Naturally, it begs the question whether it's because both the governments in the state and the Union are led by the same party,' said Balagopal. Such a stand impediments the belief that all states are treated equally by the Union government, Balagopal alleged. 'Can the people of Kerala or any other state be blamed if they feel that the Union government treats every state differently especially when states face great crises. It's stand does not help the values of federalism,' the FM said. Balagopal underlined that the BJP-led government has not announced a financial package for the state in the light of the massive landslides in Wayanad last year. He said that while the PM visited the areas where the landslides took place and recently came to the state to commission the Vizhinjam international seaport, both occasions did not see an announcement on the relief package. 'There should be equal justice in such matters. Everyone expects the rule of law and equity in such circumstances. It's not disasters and sufferings of people, but politics that is the criterion for the Union government to take such decisions. It is unbecoming of administrators,' the finance minister said. Last week, the Maharashtra CM Relief Fund had been accorded a license under the Foreign Contributions (Regulation) Act 2010, making it eligible to receive aid from individuals and countries. It was reportedly given the approval after it fulfilled all the criteria.
