The State Cabinet which met here on Wednesday approved a proposal to establish five new family courts at Kunnankulam, Neyyatinkara, Adoor, Punalur and Paravur in Kollam.
The meeting decided to reconstitute the Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council (K-DISC) as a society to promote skill development and innovation. The Chief Minister will be the chairman of the governing council and the Ministers handling the Industry, Finance, Agriculture, Higher Education and Labour portfolios will be members. National and international experts in various domains would be co- opted to the council.
The Cabinet also recommended to the Governor to promulgate an Ordinance making the registration of migrant workers mandatory. The registration of workers as per the proposed Inter-State Migrant Workers Welfare Registration (Kerala) Ordinance would make them eligible for various benefits and protection.
Another Ordinance cleared by the Cabinet to be sent to the Governor for promulgation seeks to ensure the quality of cattle feed, chicken feed and mineral supplements available in the State. Hardly 50% of the cattle feed requirement is manufactured within Kerala, with the rest, often of poor quality, imported from other States. Kerala Feeds Limited (KFL) and Milma are the key producers of cattle feed in the State.
The Cabinet also decided to establish a Plantation Directorate under the Labour Department based on the recommendations of the V.Namasivayam commission that studied the problems in the sector. A pressnote issued by the Chief Minister's office said the directorate would help in implementing policies and programmes for the revival of the ailing plantation sector.
As many as 500 Beat Forest Officers would be appointed from tribal communities. The PSC would organise a special recruitment drive for the purpose. The Beat Forest Officers would be deployed to protect the Western Ghats, conserve the ecology and prevent encroachments into forest land.
