Catalysts of Transformation
M. B. Rajesh Minister for Local Self Governments, Rural Development, Town Planning, Regional Development Authorities, KILA
The local self governments in Kerala have permeated every facet of our rural life. Our local governments have been empowered through decentralisation and equipped with power and funds. And over time, they have become the catalysts for the social and economic transformation of the state. The Department for Local Self Governments has taken a leadership role in meaningfully engaging our citizens in the developmental activities of the state and empowering them in the process. The Department has taken up some very noble initiatives which have become the hallmark of our people-centric development.
Extreme Poverty Eradication is a flagship project of the second Pinarayi Vijayan government. Kerala earnest measures to eradicate poverty. We are aiming for the complete eradication of poverty. The government is striving hard to achieve the ambitious goal of becoming the first state without extremely poor persons by November 1, 2025. This will be an achievement even developed countries would find hard to attain. T he extremely poor families of the state were identified through a survey on the basis of factors like food, housing, health and income. Out of the 64,006 families identified, 46,197 families (72.18%) have been pulled out of the vicious cycle of poverty. The remaining 17,809 families are given continuous assistance and they will soon be lifted from extreme poverty.
Special Micro-plan for Each Family Kerala’s Extreme Poverty Eradication Project becomes unique in that a special micro-plan was designed for each family after careful consideration of their condition and needs. A total of 56,697 micro plans have been thus prepared.
Services related to food and health care are being provided to all. Food kits are distributed to families which are able to cook food for themselves. Those who are not able to cook food on their own are provided with food through Janakeeya hotels and community kitchens. Local self-governments ensure that there is no disruption in the provision of these services.
The government is working to achieve the goal of Kerala without extreme poverty by November 1, 2025.
Medicines, health care equipments, essential health care and palliative care are provided to the needy. Assistance was also given to people who needed organ transplantation.
Efforts to ensure income for everyone are in the final stages. So are the efforts to provide secure housing. Under the initiative ‘Avakasham Athivegam’, necessary documents like Aadhar card, ration card and voter identity card were granted to 21,263 beneficiaries of the project. They were also given documents required for health insurance and social security pension. Employment cards were provided to those who could join employment guarantee scheme.
Since January 1, 2024, K-Smart in municipal areas has processed 27.31 lakh files, with 20.37 lakh files already resolved, a 74.6% resolution rate.
The students in these families are provided with necessary study materials, bag, umbrella, lunch and other facilities to continue their studies through the Department of General Education. They have also been provided with free travel passes for K.S.R.T.C. and private buses.
Empowering Women
The Kudumbashree program, formed for poverty alleviation, has become the largest women’s collective in the world, making significant contributions to Kerala’s production sector and women’s empowerment. Through 3.17 lakh neighbourhood groups, 48 lakh women are members of Kudumbashree.
Building LIFE Another flagship project of the LDF government is the LIFE Housing Scheme, which aims for a Kerala without homeless. So far, 5,39,042 homes have been allotted under the LIFE scheme, with 4,27,736 homes completed. 1,11,306 homes are in various stages of construction
Ensuring Employment T here is also a major initiative underway to provide employment to educated people in rural areas through the Knowledge Economy Mission. This major project aims to provide employment to 2 million people in Kerala by 2026. It is a project that aims to enhance employment skills in areas of interest for educated job seekers and enable them to secure better employment in global workplaces.
K-Smart Expansion from April
The K-Smart initiative, which has revolutionized e-governance, will be expanded to all Panchayats from April. From January 1, 2024, K-Smart is successfully operating in all municipalities across the state. With the expansion of K-Smart to Panchayats, Kerala’s
e-governance will experience a significant leap. Already, K-Smart has garnered national attention. As ILGMS (Integrated Local Government Management System) is already in place in the Panchayats, transitioning to K-Smart will be smooth. The system allows citizens to avail all services online without having to visit the Panchayat offices, offering significant benefits. It also reduces the workload of employees. A comprehensive training program for employees from 941 Gram Panchayats, 152 Block Panchayats, and 14 District Panchayats has been launched.Since January 1, 2024, K-Smart in municipal areas has processed 27.31 lakh files, with 20.37 lakh files already resolved, a 74.6% resolution rate.
A total of 17,288 complaints were received in the Adalats, of which 15,643 were resolved
Permanent Adalat
It has come to government’s notice that there are a lot of complaints regarding delays in receiving timely services from local self-government institutions. To address this, a permanent Adalat system under the name ‘Citizen Assistance’ has been established. Adalats are functioning at Taluk, District, and State levels, comprising of officials from local self-government departments. Through the portal adalat.lsgkerala.gov.in, anyone can easily submit complaints and obtain replies.
Local Adalat
As a continuation of the permanent Adalat system, Local Adalats were held in all districts and in T hiruvananthapuram, Kochi, and Kozhikode municipal corporations. Local Adalats helped resolve long-pending complaints related to various issues. A total of 17,288 complaints were received in these Adalats, of which 15,643 were resolved.
Addressing the Problem of Waste
The government is going all out to create a waste-free Kerala by March 30, 2025. Compared to March 2023, the collection of door-to-door waste from institutions and households has increased from 47% to 89%
by November 2024. The collection of user fees has increased from 34.9% to 72% during this period. Mini MCFs increased from 7,446 to 19,447. The number of MCFs increased from 1,160 to 1,323 and RRFs increased from 87 to 190. The number of Haritha Karma Sena members increased from 33,378 to 37,363. The number of private agencies empanelled went up to 118 from 74. 3,557 CCTV camera surveillance systems have been installed. 32,410 waste bins have been installed so far. Full on efforts are being made to fulfil our goal of a state free from waste dumpsites. 24 sites have been fully cleaned through bioremediation, removing 3.57 lakh tons of waste. Work is ongoing at 10 sites, and work will soon begin at 25 other locations.
A total of 11,465 schools and 169 colleges have completed waste management assessments in collaboration with the Departments of General and Higher Education.
The departments of Transport, Tourism, Fisheries, and Health have also launched extensive initiatives to address waste management and cleanliness issues. T his is not supposed to be a one-time cleaning operation. The government envisages sustainable sanitation management of each area. Camera surveillance will have to be strengthened; bins should be widely installed for depositing waste. Local self government bodies will have to continuously ensure that the waste in the bins is collected and disposed of properly.
Urban Development
According to the data from central-state agencies, and the Census data, it is estimated that by 2035, 90% of the areas in Kerala will be urbanized. It was in this context that the decision was made to form an urban policy for Kerala. Following this, the Urban Policy Commission was formed in December 2023. The Commission has submitted its interim report. The recommendations of the Commission will help us build sustainable cities and promote the wellbeing of citizens.
The Local Self Governments, thus, leave no stone unturned to improve the living standards of the citizens and create a safe and peaceful environment.