Thiruvananthapuram, March 2 The Kerala Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, on Monday took a series of decisions ranging from defence manufacturing and sports recognition to land rights and worker regularisation.
In a major move, the Cabinet decided to allot 180 acres of land free of cost to BrahMos Aerospace Thiruvananthapuram Limited at Kallikkad village in Kattakkada taluk of Thiruvananthapuram district.
The land shall be utilised exclusively "for the construction of an Advanced Missile & Other Strategic Unit and its related activities," an official release said.
In another decision, the government announced a job for Treesa Jolly, who won two medals for India at the 22nd Commonwealth Games in 2022. A supernumerary post will be created in the State Goods and Services Tax Department to appoint her, the release said.
The Cabinet also cleared the assignment of land to 649 possession holders in Perumpetty village in Pathanamthitta district, after confirming that the land does not fall under the forest category.
People who have been living on or cultivating the land for decades -- including those in possession before August 1, 1971 -- will be given title deeds, subject to conditions. Those who settled before 2014 and have no other land will also be eligible.
However, families with an annual income above Rs 2.5 lakh will not qualify for free assignment. In such cases, if they do not own any other land, the government may use special powers to regularise their holdings.
The Cabinet further approved revised guidelines for the regularisation of casual and temporary sweepers in government offices, aiming to reduce legal disputes.
Workers who have been in continuous service since November 25, 2005, may be regularised as part-time sweepers if certain conditions, including minimum sweeping area requirements, are met, the release said.
The government will also consult the Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department on reserving 20 per cent of future part-time sweeper vacancies for currently working casual sweepers, it added.