Minister for Cooperation and Tourism Kadakampally Surendran has stressed on the need to evolve solutions to challenges that threatened to undo the State’s progress in various sectors.
Inaugurating a development seminar organised by the Thiruvananthapuram district panchayat on Thursday, Mr. Surendran said that while Kerala has reaped several achievements, many of which have been viewed as model for the country, it stared at a new set of challenges which required immediate attention, the failure of which could lead to adverse implications.
“While many landmark reforms that were implemented in the past had led to a boom in the agriculture sector, we have gradually withdrawn from the avenue, paving way for greater dependence on food grains and vegetables from other States. Similar was the case in the health sector, wherein we witnessed the outbreak of diseases, despite having facilities that were on par with those available in developed countries,” he said.
Mr. Surendran pointed out that the government aimed at launching the second phase of the People’s Plan Campaign and that the success of the four projects that have been launched under the Nava Kerala Mission were crucial in this regard.
In his presidential address, district panchayat president V.K. Madhu said that efforts were being made to ensure a participatory approach in the functioning of Panchayati Raj institutions in the district. He lamented that grama sabhas and ‘ayalkoottams’ no longer functioned as they were envisaged. “Benami committees were being constituted in many local bodies order to fulfill technical formalities. Many people’s representatives in civic bodies were reluctant to attend such meetings. Such tendencies threatened to defeat the purpose of decentralisation and the Panchayati Raj system. The participation of all sections of the public must to ensured while formulating projects,” he said.
He added that the concerted efforts which were put in by the district panchayat in the field of education in the last year have paid off. The ‘Vidyajyothi’ scheme that was launched a year ago to improve SSLC results ensured that the State capital improved its position from the 11 to the eighth in terms of percentage of schools with cent per cent pass.
The programme was organised in connection with the launch of the 13th Five Year Plan and the second phase of the People’s Plan Campaign. District panchayat vice-president A. Shailaja Begum, members B.P. Murali, V. Renjith, Geetha Rajasekharan, S.K. Preeja, Anad Jayan, Latha Kumari, secretary K. Chandrasekharan Nair, Block panchayat presidents’ association president R. Subash, and Grama panchayat presidents’ association district president Devadas also spoke on the occasion. (EOM/SBG)
