Thiruvananthapuram | The Kerala government has decided to launch a major campaign during the Onam festival to promote the coir sector and protect the people working in it, Chief Minister V D Satheesan said here on Wednesday.

In a press conference after the cabinet meeting, Satheesan told reporters that a huge stock of coir products were lying unsold, adversely affecting the sector and a decision was taken in the cabinet meeting to launch a campaign to promote such products and give a boost to the sector.

He said that as part of the campaign, government establishments and private individuals are being urged to buy at least one coir product during Onam.

"It will help create a good market for such products, help clear the huge stock of such items lying unsold and will protect the coir sector and the persons working there," the CM said.

During the press conference, he also rejected allegations against the government of delaying consideration of applications for funds from the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF).

Satheesan said that in the two months after coming to power, the UDF government has cleared around 21,000 applications seeking funds from the CMDRF and released Rs 24 crore from it.

He said that of the around 21,000 applications, more than 11,000 were part of the 34,661 requests pending since May 2021.

The remaining over 9,000 applications that were cleared were from the more than 20,000 requests received by the current government, he said.

"So, within two months of coming to power we cleared around 21,000 applications, and Rs 24 crore has been released towards treatment expenses of applicants," he contended and said that efforts are being taken to make the process faster.

With regard to the matter of free food packets being provided by various organisations at state-run hospitals, the CM said that the recent remarks on the issue by Health Minister K Muraleedharan were only against any encroachment on hospital premises and political activities carried out under the guise of food distribution.

The minister was only objecting to the politicisation of the activity by putting up banners, Satheesan clarified.

He said that he was not against and appreciates the efforts of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of the CPI(M), to provide free food packets to patients and those accompanying them in state-run hospitals.

"The government is never against providing food to people. It is a good activity. But when doing it, we should not encroach on hospital property or politicise it," he said.