New Delhi, Tuesday, November 22, 2011: The team led by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and sought over Rs 11, 000 crore special financial package for the development of the state. CM was accompanied by a delegation of eight cabinet colleagues.

Singh promised to take up the issue with Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and see what could be done to reduce the stress of debt on the State government.

The Prime Minister agreed that Kerala, along with Punjab and West Bengal, is having debt stress and told Chandy that it was everybody’s responsibility to control debt. The centre also promised the delegates that the Malabar Cancer Centre in Thalassery would be uplifted to the status of Regional Cancer Centre. Kozhikode Medical College hospital would be given recognition as centre of excellence and for it Rs 180 crore was allotted.

(News agency)