T’puram: On Wednesday, the cabinet approved Kerala Nativity Card Bill, paving the way to issue a formal card as an authorized document to certify a person as a Keralite. The govt will model the proposed card on the existing nativity certificate. It will recognize the card as an authoritative document to avail various govt services and for social purposes.As per the Bill, a native is a person born in Kerala who did not acquire foreign citizenship or a person whose parent or ancestor was born in Kerala and did not acquire foreign citizenship. Authorities will not issue the card to those who acquired foreign citizenship. If a person acquires foreign citizenship after obtaining the card, the card will become invalid. Govt will also treat persons born outside Kerala due to employment or livelihood-related reasons of their parents or ancestors as natives if they did not acquire foreign citizenship.Tahsildars will issue the card and the village office will maintain a nativity card register. Applicants must submit a prescribed form with supporting documents and a fee to the tahsildar to obtain the card. Govt may include additional details in the card from time to time and may notify the circumstances in which authorities can use the nativity card as an authoritative document along with other records.The collector can review, modify or cancel the orders the revenue divisional officer passed on an application after giving the applicant a reasonable opportunity to be heard.Fire stations: Cabinet decided to open new fire stations at Mavoor, Neriamangalam, Cheemeni and Rajakkad. It will create 18 posts for Mavoor station. At each of the other three stations, it sanctioned three assistant station officers (ASTO) posts, three more ASTO posts, four senior fire and rescue officer posts and one fire and rescue officer (Driver) post. The department will redeploy personnel if it requires additional posts.New posts: Cabinet decided to create 20 police constable driver posts. It will create two assistant professor posts at department of forensic science at Calicut University based on the recommendations of the registrar and the state police chief.Free supply of bamboo: From Nov 1, 2025 to Oct 31, 2030, forest department will supply up to 5,000 metric tonnes of bamboo free of cost to Kerala State Bamboo Corporation each year. The corporation will distribute the bamboo to poor traditional bamboo workers for handicraft production.
