All sections of Nadar community in Kerala to be brought under OBC category

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 3 (PTI): Ahead of theupcoming assembly polls, the Left Front government in Keralaon Wednesday decided to bring all sections of the Nadarcommunity in the Other Backward Class (OBC) list.

The decision in this regard was taken at a cabinetmeeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, acceptingthe recommendations of the Commision for Backward Classes.

Hindu, SIUC (South Indian United Church) and LatinCatholics come under the reservation as per a separate list.Soexcept these categories, the remaining members of the Nadarcommunity from Malankara, Lutheran and Marthoma churches havebeen brought under the OBC category, thus fulfilling a longpending demand of the community.

At least five lakh members of the Nadarcommunity, who are mainly from South Kerala, are expected tobe benefitted by getting reservation benefits in educationsector and government jobs.

The Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) welcomedthe government'sdecision to bring the Nadar community underthe OBC list.

The government also decided to extend by six monthsthe validity of the Public Service Commission (PSC) rank list.

All rank lists, which will cease between February3, 2021 and August 2, 2021, will be extended till August 3this year, a government press release said.

The cabinet also decided to grant the enhancedsalary and allowances recommended by the 11th pay commissionrecently to state government employees from April 1 this year.

While the enhanced salary and otherbenefits wouldhave retrospective effect from July 1, 2019, the increasedallowances, as recommended by the commission, would be fromMarch 1, this year.

A three-member committee has been formed tolook into the various recommendations of the commission.

To speed up the grant of permits for buildingconstructions, the state government decided to recommend tothe governor to promulgate an ordinance to amend the panchayatand municipality rules.