Govt to bring in legislation to protect paddy fields

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 24 (UNI) The Kerala Government will bring in a legislation for protecting paddy fields and water sheds in the state, Chief Minister V S Achutanandan announced here today.

Briefing reporters on the decisions taken in the cabinet meeting, he said the government would amend the CRPC for providing video conferencing facilities in jails for which the Centre's permission was needed.

The cabinet also approved the pay revision for Kerala State Electricity Board employees, he said.

He expressed confidence that the Salem Railway Division would come up without affecting the Palakkad Division, after the talks with Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad in New Delhi in this regard.

Asked about Tamil Nadu's threat to block all the trains from Tamil Nadu to Kerala from tomorrow, the Chief Minister said he was trying to contact his Tamil Nadu counterpart.

''I have been trying to contact Mr M Karunanidhi. And the threat is just from the Agriculture Minister,'' he said.

UNI