All-party meeting on Nov. 22

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, NOV. 13. The Cabinet on Tuesday decided to convene an all- party meeting to discuss the Mullaperiyar issue, especially the Tamil Nadu's demand for raising of the reservoir level.

The Chief Minister, Mr. A.K. Antony, told presspersons after a Cabinet meeting that all parties represented in the Assembly and the BJP would be invited to the meeting scheduled for November 22 at a guest house here.

The Chief Minister said there was strident demand on the part of Tamil Nadu for raising the reservoir level. This would be against the interests of the State.

The Government wanted to evolve a Statewide consensus on its stand in the issue.

Sand-mining: Mr. Antony said that the Cabinet had approved a draft legislation for restricting sand- mining. This would be introduced in the current session of the Assembly itself.

Mr. Antony noted that the Kerala High Court order stopping sand- mining in rivers had caused a crisis in the construction sector.

Thousands of workers engaged in sand-mining had been rendered jobless. This situation needed to be solved.

The Chief Minister said that the Government would be requesting the Public Service Commission to conduct a special recruitment of tribals to the post of forest guards within six months. About 300 tribals were to be posted in existing vacancies.

If sufficient number of tribals with a pass in the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examination are not there, those who have completed 10th standard would be given posting. This was because the tribals had interest and acumen to protect forests.

He said that an inquiry by a higher police official would be ordered into the allegation by a woman from Palakkad that she had been harassed by a Congress leader.

The Cabinet, he said, had discussed the report of the inquiry ordered by the State Government into clinical trials conducted on cancer patients, allegedly without the necessary clearances. The discussion was inconclusive.

Rubber prices: The tyre lobby, he said, was behind the fall in rubber prices. Though the Government had reduced the purchase tax in a bid to improve the prices, the tyre manufacturers were exploiting the situation. The Government would be asking the Central Government to take action against the buyers for exploiting the farmers.

He said that the purchase tax was reduced as demanded by many quarters, including farmers. Though it did not yield any result, the Government did not propose to withdraw the concession immediately.

Some alternative schemes for channeling the benefit to the farmers was under consideration.

Mr. Antony said that the Government had giving top priority to use of rubberised bitumen for surfacing of roads. ``It is on the top of the Government's agenda,'' Mr. Antony said. Steps for starting procurement of copra was in progress.

The Chief Minister said that the coordinated efforts by the State and Central Government agencies and others in the relief and rehabilitation of the victims of the landslip at Amboori in Thiruvananthapuram district had been taken on record. The Government was congratulating the officials who took part in the efforts.

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Section  : Southern States
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