The State Cabinet on Wednesday decided to appoint Bennychan Thomas, Chief Wildlife Warden and a Kerala cadre IFS officer of the 1988 batch, as the Chief Conservator of Forests.
He has the distinction of having served in the Forest department continuously for the past 34 years. Mr. Thomas has served as the DFO in Mankulam, Nilambur, Munnar, Konni and Kottayam, Wildlife Preservation Officer and Eco Development Officer in Thekkady, Field Director of Project Tiger in Kottayam, ABP Conservator and High range Circle CCF, and many other senior positions.
In October 2021, Mr. Thomas had come under a cloud for the controversial order he issued as the Chief Wildlife Warden, allowing Tamil Nadu to fell 15 trees and clear the undergrowth near the baby dam at Mullaperiyar to commence civic work to strengthen the dam.
Other decisions
Stamp duty and registration fee would be waived for the registration of land bequeathed for the rehabilitation of 32 families who lost their houses in Koottikkal-Mundakkayam panchayats in Kottayam districts in the floods in October 2021. A total of 160 cents has been identified for their rehabilitation.
The government has decided to create the posts of Project Coordinator and Junior Resource Person for the monitoring of major infrastructural projects in the State.
It has decided to give 80.94 are (two acre) of land in Peerumade taluk to the Industrial Training department for the construction of an ITI . The land ownership will be retained with the Revenue department.
Temporary posts will be created in the General Administration department in proportion to the number of new Kerala Administrative Service (Junior Time scale) trainee appointments to ensure the stipend and other service benefits of KAS trainees. Once their probation is over, the officers will revert to the government scale of pay. This will be applicable for all future KAS appointments.
A legal assistant will be appointed on contract basis at the Kerala Law Reforms Commission.
The Cabinet approved the draft amendment to bring the appointments in the Kerala Abkari Workers Welfare Fund Board under the ambit of the Kerala Public Service Commission. The government decided to ratify the order giving one-year extension for the quarrying lease and permit issued to quarries. The extension was given in consideration of the crisis in the quarrying sector during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The government has also ratified the order issued by the Disaster Management department for the de-siltation of rivers as part of pre-monsoon preparedness.
Sainik School
The Principal Secretary (General Education) will sign on behalf of the State government, the contract related to the administration of Sainik School, Kazhakuttam, with the Union Defence Ministry.
The State Cabinet also decided to revise the staff pattern of non-managerial employees in the Malabar Cements Ltd.
It was decided to allot land for constructing the headquarters of the Kerala State Backward Classes Development Corporation.
