Janakeeyam 2018, the exhibition-cum-sale fair being held to mark the second anniversary of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in the State, has turned out to be a one-stop-shop for a slew of citizen services.
The organisers aim at utilising the presence of all important government departments at the fair to facilitate the delivery of government services. Though the anniversary celebrations will be officially inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday, the exhibition got under way at Marine Drive on Thursday and will conclude on May 22.
All major government departments including Education, Agriculture, Dairy, Police, and Forest have set up stalls. From stalls on Ayurveda and varieties of fodder grass to self-defence awareness for women, the fair tends to people from all walks of life.
The Commercial Taxes Department focuses on alleviating doubts regarding e-way bill that is in vogue with the scrapping of the check-post system. Three staff have been deployed specifically for the purpose.
The Electronics and IT Department offers all services related to Aadhaar cards. People have been dropping in at the stall to correct anomalies that have crept into their cards and to apply for new cards. Assistance is also extended in linking Aadhaar card with mobile phone numbers and bank accounts. Applications for PAN card, passport and a host of other important documents are also available.
The Motor Vehicles Department is facilitating application for driving licence and renewal of registration certificates and learner’s licence at the fair.
The distribution of health insurance cards is another service available at the fair. Those who have already applied at Akshaya centres will be issued cards from the stall on producing the application number along with the ration card and a sum of ₹30.
Women’s safety
The Police Department, in association with the women’s cell, has converted the fair into a perfect platform to create awareness on women’s safety. A five-member team at the stall demonstrates self-defence skills. Self-defence skills not involving weapons have turned out to be a big draw.
Self-defence classes were started in 2014 in the wake of increasing incidents of atrocities against women. Circle Inspector C.K. Leela said the force was equipped to impart training in self-defence anywhere in the district. Another highlight of the stall is the exhibition of police weaponry and old uniforms.
SSA State consultant T.P. Kaladharan said the efforts by the government to protect public education would raise the standards of school education in the State to the global level. He was speaking at a seminar organised on Saturday as part of Janakeeyam.
Bamboo house
A bamboo house erected by the State Bamboo Corporation at exhibition continued to be a big draw on Saturday. The bamboo house was erected within about 36 hours by engineers from the Kozhikode unit. The bamboo house, spread over 250 sq. ft., has two bedrooms as well as a sit-out.
