Cabinet panel to consider bus fare hike

A Cabinet sub-committee will consider the issue of hiking the bus fare and auto-taxi fares, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has said.

 He told a post-Cabinet press briefing here on Wednesday that the committee comprising Transport Minister Aryadan Mohammed, Industries Minister P K Kunhalikutty, Finance Minister K M Mani and Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan would hold talks with bus owners before arriving at a final decision on the fare hike.

 He said that the government had received the NATPAC report recommending the fare hike. Chandy said that, however, he had not gone through the details of the report.

 He said that the government had decided to provide a subsidy package for  cooking gas. The proposal will have to get the approval of the UDF. He also said that the government was seriously considering providing three subsidised gas cylinders to all categories. A decision will be taken on the issue at the special Cabinet meeting slated for October 9, Chandy said.

‘Toddy Ban Impractical’

The Chief Minister said that the government did not want to ban toddy in the state as it was impractical. There are social factors such as  livelihood issues of the people who are engaged in this sector, he said.

 When pointed out that coalition partner Muslim League had called for a ban on toddy citing the High Court’s observations, he said that as it was the policy of the government to achieve the aim of liquor ban, there was nothing wrong in Muslim League calling for it. But the government has to consider various aspects involved in the issue, the Chief Minister said.

 He said that the government had been trying to reduce the availability of liquor. No new outlet of Beverages Corporation was opened this year. In case of opening a new outlet, another existing outlet will be closed down to retain the total number of outlets, Chandy said.

 He said that the government had not auctioned off toddy shops last year incurring a loss of Rs 100 crore.

He, however, said that the government was concerned about the illegal production and sale of synthetic toddy which has to be stopped.

 Referring to the liquor tragedy at Kuttippuram, the chief minister said that there was sufficient stock of toddy in that particular shop though there had been no coconut tree to tap toddy anywhere nearby.