JOIN USPension contributory in nature would be available from those who retired on June 3, 1993, State Co-Operation Minister G Sudhakaran told reporters here on Tuesday.
New pension scheme would be beneficial to more than 20,000 staff in various co-operative institutions.Minimum pension amount would be Rs.600 and maximum Rs.10,000, he said. With this all staff in co-operative sector in the state have come under the pension scheme of the Self-Pension Scheme of the Co-Operative Department. Till now, pension was availble only to employees of cooperative banks.
The new pension scheme would be inaugurated by State Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan here on September 13. Sudhakaran said it was also decided to revise the salary and allowances of workers in coir sector. There would be a minimum increase of Rs.500 and a maximum of Rs.3000 in salaries in this sector, he said.
Acceptability to coir products in the state was growing and a clear indication to this was the total sale of Rs.1.50 crore worth coir products during the recent Onam coir trade marts, he said. Shortage of coconut husk was the main hurdle now being faced by the sector, he said. Kerala was depending on Tamil Nadu for the husk. But with high price for the husk in Tamil Nadu, the sector was facing crisis, he said.
To meet the challenges, government has directed the Coir Cooperative Marketing Federation to procure husk in state and provide the same to coir-societies at a low price of Rs.10 per kg, he said. With a view to make available enough quantity of fibre, 1000 mini De-Fibring Mills would be opned in co-operative and private sector by 2011, he said.