Thiruvananthapuram | The Kerala government on Wednesday decided to establish a special commercial division in the Directorate of Industries and Commerce to give prominence to the trade and commerce sector in the state.

A statement from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said that a decision was also taken to set up a special wing in the Industries Department in the secretariat, the administrative hub here, to address various commercial matters. The decision was taken during a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

The objective of this move is to give prominence to the trade and commerce sector in the state, it said, adding that many industry outfits had raised this demand during the recently concluded government outreach programme, Nava Kerala Yatra, it said.

The cabinet also gave its nod for the execution of a development project comprising commercial and residential complexes and eco-friendly parks in Kochi.

Permission was granted to the Housing Board Secretary to sign an MoU in this regard with NBCC (India) Limited.

The project would be implemented on land in the Marine Drive in Kochi owned by the Kerala State Housing Board, the statement added.