Three non-official members in Planning Board

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Cabinet on Wednesday reconstituted the Planning Board by including three non-official members. The newly-inducted members are Delhi Metro chief E Sreedharan, Confederation of Indian Industries chief mentor Tarun Das and Technopark former CEO Vijayaraghavan. Ministers of Industries, Finance, Planning, Agriculture and Electricity  have also been included in the Board.  Announcing the decision in his post-Cabinet briefing, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said that a decision on political nominees was deferred as it required furhter discussions.He said supernumerary posts would be created for filling vacancies up to March 31, 2012, from the PSC lists which will expire on August 31. Though the PSC had been asked to extend the period of rank-lists up to six months, it had extended the list only till August 31, he said. He said the Cabinet discussed the proposals in the approach paper being prepared for the 12th Five Year Plan. By September first week, the Cabinet will discuss the draft paper, he said.  He said a global investor meet titled ‘Emerging Kerala 2012’ will be organised in Kochi to attract investors. A committee was constituted for the purpose. KSIDC will be the nodal agency for the event, he said.Other Cabinet DecisionsThe government has decided to allot one acre of land for IGNOU regional centre at Muttathara here. For setting up a Kendriya Vidyalaya, 2.44 hectares of land has been allotted at Chennerkara village in Pathanamthitta district. For providing festival rebate for Khadi, Rs 6 crore has been sanctioned. The Chief Minister said that Rs 3 lakh each would be granted as relief amount for the dependents of the five people who died in an accident at an unmanned railway level-crossing at Oachira. The government would also bear the treatment expenses of the injured, he said.Tax exemption onaviation fuelThe Chief Minister said as per the request of the Air India and the Airport Authority of India regarding the services connecting T’Puram, Kochi and Karipur, tax exemption would be given to the aviation fuel being used for services. He said the bus fare for the fare stage starting from 10 km would be reduced to `7 from `10. The Transport Minister has been asked to effect the correction in this regard.  Referring to the complaints against Kerala Cricket Association (KCA), he said Sports Minister K B Ganesh Kumar had brought this to his notice. But as a court case was pending against the KCA, the Law Department had been consulted whether it would be possible to order another probe, the CM said.