The State government has asked Members of Parliament from the State to focus on a complement of seven prioritised projects and issues while putting pressure on the Central government and raising them on the floor of the lower and upper Houses.
The message that the State government sought to convey at the end of an MPs’ conference here on Wednesday, a week ahead of the Parliament session that would witness the first full budget of the Modi government, was the unity among various political parties in highlighting the demands of the State.
The prioritised projects that the government placed before the MPs related to railway development, opposition to the Pampa-Achencoil-Vaipar river-linking proposal, the Meenakumary report implementation that would affect the fisheries sector, coastal sea erosion, and paddy procurement, to name a few.
Railway projects
Addressing mediapersons after the conference, Planning and Information Minister K.C. Joseph said that the MPs had been asked to push for five railway projects, including the completion of railway tracks doubling, electrification, gauge conversion, Angamaly-Sabari railway line, and Palakkad coach factory.
The other projects on the railway development priority list include the Cherthala wagon factory, the railway medical college, the Guruvayur-Thirunavaya and the Nilambur-Nanjankode railway line development and the Kottayam and Nemom coach depots.
Meenakumary report
The government also wanted the MPs to take a strong stand against the Meenakumary report implementation as it would adversely affect the livelihood of the fishing community.
With regard to paddy procurement, Mr. Joseph said the State would have to bear an additional financial burden of Rs.400 crore for procurement.
Out of the Rs.19 for a kg of paddy, the State government had released the subsidy amount of Rs.13.40 as the first instalment and the remaining Rs.5.60 will be distributed soon.
Published - February 19, 2015 12:00 am IST
