The Hindu Business Line : Kerala plans to rope in private sector for 60 small hydel projects

THE Electricity Minister, Mr Kadavoor Sivadasan, said on Monday that the State Government had identified 60 small and mini hydro-electric projects that could be developed with private participation.

Replying to questions in the State Assembly, the Minister said tenders had been floated in respect of 32 of these projects, 13 of which elicited response.

Four small hydro-electric projects involving Chinese technical assistance had been completed. Special teams had been set up for the speedy implementation of another six in the series. Permission had been granted to five companies for setting up captive power plants.

Loading Act: The Labour Minister, Mr Babu Divakaran, informed the House that the Government had not received any complaint about the implementation of the Kerala Loading and Unloading (Regulation of Wages and Restriction of Unlawful Practices) Act.

Responding to a Calling Attention motion, the Minister said he would look into any complaint that workers or trade unions wanted to bring his attention to.

The workers had not so far raised complaints, but trade unions had expressed their displeasure about some provisions of the Act. They had even refused to cooperate with district-level committees constituted to fix wages in specific areas.

Arecanut prices: The Agriculture Minister, Ms K.R. Gowri, told the Assembly that the Centre had advised the State not to favour further expansion of acreage under arecanut cultivation and instead focus more on enhancing productivity through research and development.

Neethi Stores: Mr Kadavoor Sivadasan, who also holds the Health portfolio, declared on the floor of the House that legal steps would be initiated against pharmaceutical companies refusing to supply essential drugs to Neethi fair price shops being run in the cooperative sector as also those medical shops managed by hospital development societies.

Replying to questions, he said the Government would also consider the question of making available ayurvedic medicines through these stores.

According to Mr Sivadasan, orders had been placed for supply of anti-rabies vaccine in all Government hospitals. The Minister sought to deny allegations that certain pharmaceutical companies were subjecting patients of medical colleges to drug tests.

Online lotteries: The Finance Minister, Mr K. Sankaranarayanan, said the Government was pursuing `systematically and diligently' the case against online lottery operators in the Supreme Court.

Replying to a submission, the Minister said Kerala was the first State to introduce rules to regulate online lotteries. There would not be any laxity in pursuing the case. An eminent lawyer had been contracted to argue the State's case pleading for vacating the stay granted to lottery operators the applicability of the State Government's order imposing a ban on them.

Deaths condoled: Earlier, the Assembly condoled the death of 90 children in a gruesome fire tragedy at a primary school in Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu.

The Deputy Speaker, Mr N. Sundaran Nadar, read out the condolence message following which the House observed a one-minute silence to pay homage to the deceased.

Taking the floor, the Chief Minister, Mr A.K. Antony, said instructions had been issued to the Education Department, district collectors and local bodies to ensure the safety and security measures at all schools and report the findings to the Government.

An emergency meeting of all parties concerned would be convened to make sure that thatched sheds, if any, in schools were replaced with tiled roofs.