THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government intends to launch a comprehensive housing programme combining the existing different schemes, Panchayats and Social Justice Minister M K Muneer has said.
“At present there are different schemes for the fisherfolk, minorities, Scheduled Castes, Tribes and those of the Housing Board. The government plans to pool in these funds into a comprehensive programme to achieve the goal of housing for all,” he told the Assembly on Friday.
The minister said that the state would fully bear the cost of setting up electric crematoriums and modern slaughter houses for clusters with four or five panchayats. The works of around 10 slaughterhouses were progressing.
The change in dollar exchange rate had helped the state to earn an extra amount of Rs 400 crore in the World Bank-aided Kerala Local Government Service Delivery Project. The amount would be spent on improving facilities at economically weak panchayats; Rs 3 crore would be given for each panchayat.
In reply to Opposition member V S Sunilkumar, the minister said that malnutrition and underweight issues of newborns in Attappady were solved after the establishment of 192 community kitchens.
The minister said that a recent study showed that the children of Anganwadis had better IQ than their counterparts in other kindergartens. He attributed the achievement to the supply of nutritional food for brain development.
Online Trade Licence
Urban Affairs Minister Manjalamkuzy Ali said that the government planned to issue trade licences online. The tax for petty shops was reduced to Rs 500 to help them compete with the rising number of shopping malls. A survey on wayside vendors was progressing and they would be given identity cards. The minister said that the Cabinet decision to exempt buildings in state from the National Building Code was to help people waiting to get apartments they booked.