On the 25th anniversary of People’s Plan, which gave more powers and financial independence to local bodies, Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac pitched for the formulation of comprehensive plans to prevent disasters due to climate change.
The unprecedented floods witnessed by the State seems to have led him to nudge local planning in this direction too.
He said that such an extensive disaster prevention/response programme at the local level would be first of its kind in the world. Before finalising the annual plan, draft reports would be prepared, illustrating the preventive actions and precautions to be taken in each ward, based on the lessons learned during the natural disasters in 2018 and 2019. This would be discussed in all grama sabhas, based on which the plan would be formulated.
To mark the 25 years of the People’s Plan, each grama panchayat and municipality had to prepare a comprehensive report on what they had achieved, not achieved and advancements made in new directions as envisaged in the Development Report of 1996. Working groups would be constituted for preparing the report in May. After getting the approval of the new administrative council, this report would be subjected to elaborate local deliberations. Kerala Institute of Local Administration would organise an extensive conference in November 2021 for presenting these experiences. An amount of ₹1 crore was allocated for this, the Minister said.
Local bodies
An amount of ₹12,074 crore was earmarked for Local Self Government Institutions in 2020-21. Apart from this, ₹6,285 crore would also be made available to Local Self Government Institutions through Central and State-sponsored schemes.
Mr. Isaac said that 500 panchayats and 50 towns including Thiruvananthapuram would attain total cleanliness status in solid waste management. Speaking on the importance of centralised septage treatment plants, he said that an amount of ₹5 crore each would be given as a special grant for the developmental activities of panchayats, that ensure land and public consent for the installation of septage plants. A total of 12,000 public toilets would be constructed this year. In addition to the renovation of toilets in existing petrol pumps, toilets in “take a break rest centres” under Kudumbashree and toilets sponsored by other government agencies and public sector undertakings, local bodies would open new toilets.
