The Cabinet has decided to slash the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSTRC) ordinary bus fares by Re.1. The decision has been made to pass on the benefit of the fall in oil prices to the people.

Briefing reporters on the decisions of the weekly Cabinet meeting here on Wednesday, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said the minimum fare in ordinary buses would go down from Rs.7 to Rs.6. The cut would be applicable to all fares in ordinary services. Transport Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan would request the private bus owners to effect the fare cut, he said.

The meeting decided to create 2,653 posts in 235 higher secondary schools in government and aided sectors which got approval in 2014-15 and 2015-16. These include posts of higher secondary teachers, junior teachers, and laboratory assistants.

A commission has been appointed to study the problems being faced by the members of the converted Christian community. Former IAS officer P.P. Gopi would head the commission. Y. Joseph is the member and SC/ST Welfare Department Director V.R. Joshi is the member secretary of the commission. A sum of Rs.25 lakh would be given to the family of Lance Naik V. Sudhesh who was killed in an avalanche at Siachen. A decision has been made to give a government job to his wife. As much as 1.08 acres of land would be given at North Thrikkakara panchayat in Ernakulam for setting up a River Management and Research Institute.

A decision has been made to provide two acres of land owned by the Tourism Department to Ustad Amjad Ali Khan for setting up an international music institute at Kadakampally village here.

The Cabinet decided to provide two acres of land from the 25 acres housing the TB Sanatorium at Pulayanarkotta for the expansion of the Regional Cancer Centre here. As much as 3.5 acres of land would be provided to Fisheries Department at Muttathara for rehabilitating the fisherfolk families and also to Urban Affairs Department for housing the residents of the Vikalanga Colony here.

Title deeds would be distributed to 477 families at Vazhichal, Amboori and Kattakada for the land possessed by them. Each family would get one hectare each.