Pension scheme for farmers

A special pension scheme for farmers, establishment of rural business hubs to provide sustainable job opportunities for the poor, a new town and country planning Bill, a housing relief fund for BPL (below poverty line) families and separate ombudsmen for cooperative banking institutions and Devaswom boards are some of the key promises contained in the Governor's policy address to the Assembly delivered on Wednesday.

Delivering the policy address, Governor R.L. Bhatia pointed out that farmers constituted the only group in the State that did not enjoy benefits of pension schemes. There was also the need to train the younger generation to handle modern agriculture machines and tools. For this purpose and to infuse new technology into dairy farming, an agri-polytechnic would be started under Kerala Agricultural University and high-tech dairy farms set in Idukki and Wayanad districts with the involvement of non-resident Indians. A high-tech export-orient meat plant would be set up at Chalakudy with public-private participation, he added.