Cabinet Decisions: Farmer Pension for 10,115 More People; Houses for 13 Unnathi Families on Wayanad Township Model

Thiruvananthapuram: The Government of Kerala has taken a series of major decisions covering farmer welfare, infrastructure, education, and public services during its latest cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Pension for Additional Farmers

The cabinet decided to include 10,115 more farmers aged above 60 in the state’s small and marginal farmers’ pension scheme, granting them a monthly pension of ₹2,000. An amount of ₹24.276 crore has been sanctioned for the initiative.

In addition, 2,225 pending pension applications submitted by the Agriculture Department will be examined on a priority basis. With the new decision, the number of beneficiaries will increase significantly beyond the existing 6,201 farmers already receiving the pension.

Homes for Landslide-Affected Families in Wayanad

The government also approved the construction of houses for 13 families from the hilltop settlements of Punchirimattam, Erattukundu and Village Road, which were affected by the Mundakkai–Chooralmala landslides in Wayanad.

The houses will be built following the model of the Wayanad Township Project, with KIIFCON acting as the employer’s representative and ULCCS as the EPC contractor.

50% Amnesty on Traffic Fines

To clear a backlog of pending traffic violation cases, the cabinet approved an amnesty scheme offering a 50% reduction in fines for all violations recorded up to December 31, 2024.

Vehicle owners must settle the fines before April 30, 2026 to avail of the concession. The decision follows recommendations from the Transport Commissioner as thousands of pending e-challan cases have accumulated in courts.

1,857 Additional Teaching Posts

The government sanctioned 1,857 new teaching posts in government and aided schools based on the staff fixation for the 2025–26 academic year.

655 posts will be created in government schools.

1,202 posts will be created in aided schools.

The posts will take effect from October 1, 2025.

Progress on Jal Jeevan Mission

The cabinet also allowed contract procedures to proceed for 10 projects under the Jal Jeevan Mission, with a total estimated cost of ₹153.37 crore.

If the central government share is delayed, the state will temporarily meet the expenses from its own funds.

Additionally, approval was granted for the Kerala Water Authority to raise ₹4,000 crore as a loan from NABARD under the NIDA scheme to meet the state’s share of the mission.

Relief and Welfare Measures

Several relief measures were also approved:

Families of four people who died in a building slab collapse in Kozhikode will receive ₹7 lakh each from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund.

The family of a child who died due to Nipah virus infection in Malappuram will receive ₹5 lakh assistance.

2,433 fishermen affected by sand accumulation at Muthalapozhi will receive compensation for 91 days of lost work.

Other Key Decisions

The cabinet also approved a range of additional measures, including:

Creation of 152 new posts in Family Health Centres.

Establishment of an Additional Judicial Magistrate Court in Varkala.

Allocation of land for the Central University of Kerala campus in Thiruvananthapuram.

Renaming the School of Legal Studies at Kannur University after jurist V. R. Krishna Iyer.

Wage revision for employees under the National AYUSH Mission.

Establishment of 13 minority youth training centres and seven sub-centres across the state.

The cabinet also approved several infrastructure projects, institutional appointments and development initiatives across multiple sectors as part of the state’s ongoing administrative and welfare programmes.