Kerala CM promises free rice for poor in budget

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has promised to provide 25 kg of free rice from the next fiscal to all families below the poverty line. His new budget proposals revolve around his slogan - development and care. He has also set aside £10 million for a new project named 'Kanivu', for the poorest of the poor and those who suffer from various ailments. The CM has raised monthly pension for all those aged 75, to Rs 1,500, and has set aside £76.4 million to revive the beleaguered agriculture sector, also announcing a raise for the farmers' monthly pension to Rs 750. “A sum of £50 million is being earmarked to ensure that the benchmark price of one kg of rubber is kept at Rs 150. Another sum of £10 million was set aside for building a new dam in place of the leaking Mullaperiyar dam.