Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has said that all BPL families of the state will be given rice at one rupee per kilogram from September. The decision has been taken at the first meeting of his expanded cabinet on Monday.

Thirteen new ministers, including nine from Congress, have been inducted into the cabinet at the swearing ceremony held at Rajbhawan in Thiruvananthapuram last evening.

The strength of Oommen Chandy government has gone upto twenty with the expansion. The name of speaker and deputy speaker of Kerala assembly will be decided later.

The Governor has been requested to convene the assembly session on first and second of next month for swearing in of MLAS and election of speaker and deputy speaker.

The chief minister said that assistance of centre will be sought to provide rice at one rupee as Onam gift to the poor people.

Meanwhile, CPM state secretariate has elected V S Achuthanandan as legislature party leader and he Sis to become the opposition leader in Kerala assembly.