The Kerala government will bring the Centre’s attention to the exorbitant flight charges being levied by Air India on Haj pilgrims travelling from the Karipur airport in Kozhikode, Minister for Minority Welfare, Sports and Haj V. Abdurahiman said in the Assembly on Tuesday.
When Haj pilgrims travelling from the Nedumbassery and Kannur airports are being charged ₹86,000 as air fare, those from Karipur have to pay ₹1.65 lakh. The government will meet the Union Minister for Civil Aviation and the Union Minister for Minority Affairs and appeal that the flight charges for Haj pilgrims be made uniform, Mr. Abdurahiman said, while replying to a submission by P.T.A Rahim.
This year, 16,776 persons won the chance for Haj pilgrimage from Kerala, through a draw of lots. Of these pilgrims, 14,464 are travelling from the Karipur airport, he said.
Special rice
All ration cardholders would be given special rice in the month of February, apart from their usual quota of foodgrain, Civil Supplies Minister G.R. Anil told the Assembly on Tuesday.
Blue category ration cardholders will be given 4 kg of rice and white cardholders, 5 kg of rice. The Centre has slashed the State’s share of wheat, sugar and kerosene, he said, while replying to a submission by P.S. Supal .
The State spends approximately ₹912 crore annually for ration supply, including ₹336 crore for foodgrain, ₹324 crore as commission for ration distributors and ₹252 crore on transportation charges and godowns. Of this, the Centre’s share comes to only ₹86 crore, which is less than 10% of the total expenditure incurred by the State, Mr. Anil said.
Plachimada
The government will examine if a newer legislation can be brought in to provide compensation to the affected parties in Plachimada in Palakkad, Minister for Water Resources Roshy Augustine told the Assembly.
He was replying to a submission by V.D. Satheesan, Leader of the Opposition, that new legislation should be enacted to overcome the loopholes in the earlier Bill passed by the Assembly so that compensation can be awarded to the people of Plachimada in Perumatti grama panchayat, who were affected by the functioning of the Cocacola factory there.
The Minister pointed out that though the Bill for providing compensation to the Plachimada victims had been passed by the Assembly in 2011, the Bill had been returned by the President. The government had earlier held several discussions on giving compensation to Plachimada victims and in one of the discussions, the Solicitor General had opined that the State can file a suit in the court seeking compensation.
Discussions had been held at the Chief Minister’s level also. The government will confer again with the Advocate General on the possibilities for enacting a new legislation which will make the provision of compensation possible for the people of Plachimada, Mr. Augustine said.
