Keralam Assembly passes Bills hiking salaries and allowances of Ministers, MLAs

The Kerala Assembly has passed the SARAL Bill, 2026, with the aim of expediting the issuance of licences and permits for industrial ventures. The Opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) and CPI(M) dissident-turned-Independent MLA G. Sudhakaran objected to the Bill, citing concerns over potential environmental damage, the snatching of licensing and permit powers of local bodies, and the creation of a parallel system to the existing single window mechanism.

Despite Sudhakaran's objections, the Bill received support from the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) and Industries Minister P.K. Kunhalikutty, who assured that all existing environmental protection laws would be upheld. The Opposition raised concerns about the Bill's impact on paddy fields, wetlands, and forestland, while the UDF argued that the Bill would send a positive message about Kerala's favorable climate for business.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Hindu's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.