The Cabinet has formed a subcommittee to ensure the coordination of the Urban Affairs (Municipalities and Corporations), the Panchayats and the Rural Development departments in deference to the criticism of the trifurcation of the portfolio of Local Self-Government.
Announcing this after a Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said here on Wednesday that the government did not anticipate any problems because of the allocation of the portfolios of Panchayats, Municipalities and Corporations, and Rural Development to different Ministers. However, the government proposed to react to the criticism pro-actively. A Cabinet subcommittee, a permanent set-up, would address any issues that may crop up. The subcommittee, headed by the Chief Minister, would have the Ministers in charge of the three portfolios as its members (P.K. Kunhalikutty — Municipalities and Corporations, M.K. Muneer — Panchayats, and K.C. Joseph — Rural Development).
The Chief Minister said it was not the first time that the portfolios were handled by different Ministers. In 2001, Rural Development was allocated separately to a Minister. No problem had arisen then. It was not going to affect the functioning of the Kudumbasree Mission and the Kerala Institute of Local Development. Both would be under the Minister in charge of Panchayats. At the Secretariat level, there would be only one department (Local Self-Government) under a Principal Secretary.
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Mr. Chandy said another Cabinet subcommittee had been constituted to address delays in construction works, which had led to cost escalation and failure in providing required services. The committee would have the Finance Minister and Ministers in charge of Water Resources, Rural Development, and Public Works as its members.
Replying to questions, the Chief Minister said the government would not interfere in the day-to-day investigation in the ice-cream parlour case. However, he would enquire about the allegation that N.K. Damodaran was excluded from questioning in connection with the case.
While the government found nothing wrong in public men going to police stations in connection with police cases, it would not tolerate high-handedness, questioning of authorities, and forcible release of those in custody, whoever was involved.
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Mr. Chandy said the exclusion of leaders such as V. D. Satheesan from his Ministry was not deliberate. He and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Ramesh Chennithala had expressed regret over that. Congress leader V.M. Sudheeran was also saying the same thing. “We share the view that it is regrettable that Mr. Satheesan could not be included in the Ministry.”
He said the present government was trying to get the Kochi metro project cleared by the Central government. The proposal put forward by it was the same as that proposed by the previous government. However, the government would not drop the project if it was rejected by the Centre.
The government proposed to link its scheme for supplying rice at Re.1 a kg to the poor to the proposed Food Security Act of the Central government. However, if the implementation of the Act was delayed, the government would start the scheme on its own during Onam.