THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Though consultations on raising the pension age for state government employees is very active at many levels, no decision had yet been arrived at on this as of now, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has said.Briefing mediapersons on Cabinet decisions, he said that in the backdrop of higher life expectancy rates of the people of the state now, the demand for raising the pension age is genuine but the concerns of the jobless youth are of paramount importance.“Only by taking the youth into confidence could any change in the existing pattern be considered,” he said. Asked about the demand to raise the pension age to at least 56, especially when the impact of the pension date unification process is taken into account, he replied: “It should be a package.”“There are a lot of complaints arising out of the pension date unification,” Oommen Chandy said.PROCUREMENTPRICE RAISEDThe Cabinet decided to hike the procurement price of paddy to `15 per kg in place of the existing `13.5 per kg, the Chief Minister said.He informed that more procurement centres will be introduced for the benefit of farmers. Thirteen posts had been created for the newly-formed Backward Classes Development Corporation.The cabinet decided to urge Union Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi to facilitate the conduct of the next Pravasi Bharateeya Divas scheduled in 2013 in Kerala.A mechanism with the state finance minister as chairman had been formed for the effective implementation of Karunya Benevolent Fund, to help cancer, kidney, heart and haemophilia patients, and for those in need of palliative care. District committees will also be formed with district collectors as their heads for the scheme.The Ayurveda dispensary at Nellipara, Alakkode, in Kannur district will be upgraded to a full-fledged hospital and 23 dispensaries will be established in various parts of the state, the Chief Minister said.The financial assistance for housing for the poor in local bodies has been hiked from `75,000 to `2 lakh, considering the fact that the SC/ST Department had already increased the limit to that level. The monthly honorarium of Asha workers has been hiked from `300 to `500. Administrative sanction had been accorded for construction of a parallel bridge to the Kalady bridge, with an outlay of `42 crore.The State Government will take over the residence of late literary critic Sukumar Azhikode. Officials of the Department of Culture will discuss the matter with the family members of Azhikode.Land acquisition for the approach path to the Mooledam and Kumaranaloor rail level crossings in Kottayam district will be undertaken on a fast track mode.The Cabinet has appointed A Firoz as the director of the Public Relations Department.MINIMUM WAGES FOR NURSES STRESSEDThe Chief Minister said that there could not be any compromise on payment of minimum wages to nurses working in the private hospitals of the state. The managements will have to take the service conditions in the state also into account, he added. Any other contentious issues can be brought to the negotiating table, he said.At the outset of the news conference, the Chief Minister released the Media handbook 2012. Rural Development Minister K C Joseph and PRD director A Firoz was present.
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