No move to raise govt staff's retirement age: Ker CM

Kerala Government has no proposal to raise the retirement age of its employees from present 56, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy today said.
"Government has no plans to raise the retirement age of its staff and even if, government makes any move in this regard, it would be only after taking the youth into confidence," he told reporters here in response to a question during his briefing on the cabinet meeting.
However, Chandy said there was nothing wrong in the demand to push up the retirement age in view of the advanced average life span of the people.
But, considering the special circumstances of the state, government cannot raise the retirement age, Chandy said.

The number of vacancies reported annually in the state was 35,000 and those who wait for employment as per the Public Service Commission lists stood at 25 lakhs, he pointed out.
On the cabinet decisions, he said it was decided to write off the vehicle and housing loans to the tune of Rs 12.36 crore taken by around 4,000 people of Scheduled Caste through Kerala State Development Corporation for SC and ST.

Sanction was given for a debt relief scheme to the tune of Rs 25 crore for the families of Endosulfan pesticide victims in Kasargode District.
Expressing concern over the Centre's decision to deregulate prices of medicines, Chandy said the prices of life saving medicines would go up and wanted it to be reconsidered.

Chandy said he would take up the matter with the Centre during his next visit to Delhi.
The cabinet also decided not to introduce toll collection for bridges built with a cost upto Rs 10 crore. The present ceiling was upto Rs five crores.