By P. Sreekumaran
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a significant decision, the United Democratic Front(UDF) Government in Keralam has approved a Rs 1000-crore special housing scheme which will provide houses to 32,000 Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) families in the State.
Announcing the scheme, Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes, K. A. Thulasi said it would cover 25,000 SC families and 7,000 ST families.
The decision represents a return to a separate housing programme. A notable feature of the scheme is that the Government would implement it directly through the departments.
The housing scheme assistance for SC families has been increased from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 6 lakh. For ST families, the assistance has been enhanced from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 6 lakh for houses, and from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 8 lakh for houses in remote locations.
An amount of Rs 727.68 crore, the Minister said, has been earmarked for the SC housing scheme. While the ST housing programme has been allocated Rs 252.52 crore.
Applications for the new scheme can be submitted from November 1 to 16 to the SC offices or through the Department’s online portal.
The Minister also announced that the scrutiny and categorisation of applications will be completed by November 24. The list of beneficiaries will be forwarded to district-level officers by November 30. The final list is expected to be published by December 3. The State-level inauguration of the scheme is fixed for December 6.
It has also been decided to disburse the financial assistance in four instalments. The first instalment is expected to be disbursed in December and the second on February 10, 2027.
The annual family income ceiling for SC applicants has been fixed at Rs 3 lakh, while the limit for ST applicants is Rs 1 lakh. Families headed by widows, household with members suffering from serious illnesses and other particularly vulnerable groups will be given priority. Among the SC families, unmarried women above 50 years of age heading families will also receive priority.
The SC applicants should possess at least two cents of land in rural areas or 1.5 cent in urban areas. The applicants should be below 70 years of age, and houses constructed under the scheme should have a maximum area of 500 sq.ft. for ST families. Households with more than two students will receive priority.
In another important decision, the UDF Government has decided to prioritise the development of infrastructure in the State’s fisheries sector.
Announcing the decision after opening the works completed at the Puthiyappa fishing harbour in Kozhikode district under a development project implemented with the participation of the Central and State Governments, Fisheries Minister V. E. Abdul Ghafoor said coastal development was a key priority of the Government.
The scheme is aimed at improving the living standards of fishers and ensuring their financial security, the Minister said, adding that housing schemes and insurance coverage will be provided for fishers.
Also announcing that the technical issues related to fishers’ pensions would be resolved soon, the Minister said the deadline for updating information required to receive pensions had been extended.
The development works at Puthiyappa fishing harbour were completed at a cost of Rs 21.7 crore. The project included the construction of auction halls, a concrete parking area, internal roads, drains, locker rooms, a rest house and a toilet block, besides dredging works.
The Minister also inaugurated the second phase of the Koyilandi fishing harbour project, completed under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), along with the Arayankavu-Koothavally road and adjoining bridges constructed under the coastal road upgradation project.
The Kerala Assembly has passed the Keralam Maritime Board (Amendment) Bill, 2026 amidst a walkout by the Opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF).
The Bill has since been reported to a Subject Committee. It provides for reconstruction of the board to establish a centralized decision-making mechanism and increase operational efficiency.
The LDF has opposed the bill on the ground that it dealt a blow to the right to life and livelihood of coastal people guaranteed by the Constitution. The provision to constitute a maritime land bank, comprising the land under the control of the State Government, for development of township and other projects would lead to their eviction from land where they parked boats, dried nets, and repaired vessels, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Pinarayi Vijayan said.
Moreover, Pinarayi said, harbours and landing centres would give way to commercial interests and deny traditional fishers the natural entry to the sea.
A major flaw in the Bill, he said, is that the new authority will have no representatives of fishers, coastal people, their organisations, local bodies, or of revenue or fisheries ministers and departmental secretaries. The Bill will, in effect, hand over the State’s coast to corporate mafia, Pinarayi warned.
Chief Minister V D Satheesan, however, denied the opposition allegations. Both the Revenue and Fisheries Secretaries would be part of the Board, he pointed out. He also ruled out transferring the land under the control of the State Government to the Board – an allegation made by the LDF. (IPA Service)
