The Kerala government on Wednesday decided to constitute a permanent commission to oversee the creamy layer issue in job and educational reservations and for filing a review petition in the Supreme Court in the light of the apex court nullifying the K K Narendran Commission's recommendations.
'The three-member commission will be headed by Justice Rajendra Babu. The other members will be decided later,'' Chief Minister V S Achutanandan said.
The decision had been taken in the wake of the SC quashing the recommendations of the Narendran Commission, he said.
The Cabinet had agreed to the Kochi Metro Rail project and appointed retired additional general manager, Southern Railway, Gopinathan Nair as a special officer in this regard.
It was also decided to appoint Justice Pareed Pillai to look into the Thattekad boat tragedy in which 15 children and three teachers met with a watery grave.
Stating that the Cabinet had agreed upon the Abkari policy of 2007-08, Achutanandan said while strict measures would be taken against illicit liquor trade in the state, it had been decided to protect the traditional Toddy sector.
The toddy shops, which were closed down by the previous United Democratic Front government would be reopened, he said new shops would be given to those persons who were currently running the business.
As part of the Adivasi rehabilitation, it had been decided to give 3,000 acres of the Aralam farm to them and the remaining 3,500 acres to be protected in its present stature.
The Cabinet had also decided to register Aralam farm as a company. The Adivasis had been encroaching the Aralam farm for quite sometime demanding rehabilitation.
The government was able to check price hike, Achutanandan said adding the hike could be checked through the outlets of cooperative sectors, Supplyco, civil supplies and horticorp.
In order to raise funds for the Chief Minister's Relief Fund, he said a lottery -- ''Sandwanam'' -- would be launched next month.
Asked about the Smart City project, the chief minister said the government had not received any information from the TECOM authorities.
The TECOM representatives, who were here for talks had gone to Malta and from there they would reach Dubai and hold discussion with the company board members. A final decision would be known only after this, he said and added the government was hopeful of signing an agreement soon.
