Kerala annual plan for 2017-18 pegged at Rs 26,500 crore

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala cabinet today approved the annual plan outlay of Rs 26,500 crore for 2017-18, which is Rs 2500 crore more than the current fiscal.

The total plan for the fiscal would become Rs 34,538. 95 crore once the assistance of Centre was also taken, an official release said here.

An amount of Rs 6227.5 crore has been earmarked for Local bodies, Rs 751.08 crore for the welfare of schedule tribes and Rs 2599.65 crore for Scheduled caste.

Cabinet decided to recommend the Governor Justice (ret) P Sathasivam to convene assembly from February 23.

The session would start with the customary address by Governor and state budget would be presented on March 3.

The session would end on March 16, the release said.

Cabinet also decided to appoint Justice (ret) S Gopinathan as inquiry commissioner to probe the firework tragedy at Puttingal devi temple in April 10 last year.

He was appointed in place of Justice (ret) N Krishnan Nair who tendered resignation due to personal reasons.

More than 100 persons lost their lives and several suffered serious bur injuries in the tragedy that occurred on the final day of the festival of Puttingal Devi temple at Paravoor in Kollam district.