Kerala govt announces green rebate for eco-friendly homes amid slew of new measures

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 03: With the crucial Assembly polls just months away, the Kerala government announced a 10 point programme, includingensuring medicines, mustering and other services at the doorsteps of the elderly and physically challenged and aGreen rebate for environmentally friendly homes.

Announcing the initiatives on New Year day, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said they would be implemented in a time-bound manner. For the elderly and physically challenged, at least five government services would be made available at their doorsteps, Vijayan said.

"In Kerala, the population of elderly people is on the higher side and most of them are living alone, with their children and relatives away. They find it difficult to get various benefits or bring their problemsbefore the authorities", he said.

Mustering, life certificates, social security pensions, applications for CMDRF applications and essential life saving medicines are services which wouldbe made available in the first phase and the government will issue a notification by January 10, the chief minister said.

The government will give a special one time rebate on initial building tax for those constructing environmentally friendly homes by using pre-fabricated material, avoiding cutting of trees and not resorting to land fillings. The criteria and percentage of rebate would be decided after consultations with environment, finance and local self departments and the notification would be issued this month itself, he said. More counsellors would be appointed in schools to reduce increasing number of suicides by students.

Presently, 1024 counsellors on contract basisare employed in schools and their numbers would be doubled, Vijayan said. For women facing various issues, online counselling facilities would be arranged. Eminent Scholar online programmes will be arranged to help college and university students interact and exchange views with well known experts, he said.

At least 1,000 students, whose annual family income was less than Rs 2.5lakh, would get Rs one lakh scholarship for higher studies To fight corruption, an authority would be constituted where a person can provide accurate information about it. The complainant''s name would be withheld, he said. A digital media literacy programme would be launched in schools and colleges and a scheme for providing nutritional food for children and teenagers would also be kickstarted, the Chief Minister said.