The Hindu Business Line : Plantation Corporation in crisis

The Agriculture Minister, Ms K.R. Gowri, said in the State Assembly that the arrears of the employees' salaries for the period between July and October last year worked out to Rs 5 crore.

Replying to a calling attention motion, she said that the Kasaragod Collector had suggested bringing the company's estates in Cheemeni and Perambra under the rehabilitation programme for scheduled tribals.

Referring to the question of settling the arrears, the Minister said that the company management and the trade unions had entered into an agreement for creating a workers' welfare fund out of the arrears.

In reply to another calling attention, Ms Gowri said that a pilot project to cultivate vanilla would be taken up at Adoor.

Besides, floriculture programmes would be started in Alappuzha and Palakkad districts to benefit a total of 3,000 families.

Cargo terminal: The Irrigation Minister, Mr T.M. Jacob, informed the House that the State Government is yet to take a final decision on the proposal by the Inland Waterways Authority to establish a cargo handling terminal at Punnamadakkayal in Alappuzha.

The Authority had submitted a feasibility report on the proposal to the State Government, he added.

Since the proposed terminal was to come up near the finishing point of the famous Nehru Trophy boat race, the report stated that sufficient space would be left untouched for the boat race.

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