Kerala Cabinet approves revised structure for Phase II of Kuttanad Package

The Kerala Cabinet on Wednesday approved amendments to the structure and functioning of the Kuttanad Development Coordination Council in connection with the implementation of the second phase of the Kuttanad Package.

As part of the restructuring, a new framework will be included incorporating the Central Project Processing Unit – Kuttanad Regional Development (CPPU-KRD), implementation and technical committees, working groups and a Kuttanad cell.

The Chief Secretary has been designated as the convener of the Kuttanad Development Coordination Council. The member of the State Planning Board handling the sectors of agriculture, water resources, fisheries and animal husbandry will serve as a member of the council.

A Central Project Processing Unit will be constituted at the level of the State Planning Board specifically for Kuttanad regional development. Matters relating to the CPPU–KRD will be reported to the member secretary of the State Planning Board, who is also the special officer for the Kuttanad Package. Experts from the fields of information technology, finance and water resources will be included in the CPPU-KRD.

Implementation and technical committees will be formed in Alappuzha, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta. The district panchayat presidents will serve as the chairpersons and the District Collectors as conveners of the committees. These bodies will function as subcommittees of the District Planning Committee (DPC). The Joint Registrar of Cooperation, the project coordinator and representatives of MGNREGS will also be members of the district-level implementation and technical committees.

Project proposals prepared by various departments will be examined by the district-level committees and forwarded to the CPPU-KRD. Inter-district projects will be prepared by departments in consultation with the respective DPCs.

In accordance with the guidelines of the CPPU-KRD, administrative sanction for projects up to ₹5 crore will be granted at the district level. Existing procedures will be adhered to in order to approve and implement projects of local self-government institutions.

₹253.06 crore to Supplyco

The Cabinet has also decided to release ₹253.06 crore to the Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation (Supplyco) for the liability it incurred on account of the out-turn ratio (OTR) for the paddy procurement seasons from 2019-20 to 2021-22. The OTR is 68% per quintal as fixed by the Centre. Mill owners wanted the OTR to be revised to 64.5% citing productivity losses. In 2017, they had also refused to lift the harvested paddy raising this issue. Following this, the State government had agreed to shoulder the financial liability until the Centre revised the OTR to 64.5%.