THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government will put in place a unified local self-government service this year to ensure efficient implementation of plan projects. This was stated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at the State Development Council meeting held here on Tuesday.
Draft rules for local self-government service have been prepared. Urban Affairs Department, Urban Planning Department, Engineering wing of local bodies and Rural Development Directorate will be combined to give shape to the unified service.
As a first step towards the objective, a Principal Director has been appointed the head of the local self-government service. The Chief Minister said the new service will coordinate projects implemented in districts by various departments and agencies.
Pinarayi also urged local bodies to take steps to encourage the construction sector. Efforts to bring sand for construction from neighbouring states should be encouraged. Steps should also be taken to identify land to set up modern slaughterhouses. Pinarayi reminded local bodies to ensure people’s participation in the implementation of various plan projects. He called for support from local bodies in the efforts to make the state self-reliant in milk production. He also reminded local self-governments that their prime focus should be on waste management.
The time frame for implementation of plan projects should be strictly adhered to. Many conditions imposed by panchayats are not followed by urban local bodies. Rules will be amended to rectify this anomaly. Ministers A K Balan, K Raju, T P Ramakrishnan, Kadakampally Surendran, C Raveendranath, Ramachandran Kadannappally, M M Mani, V S Sunil Kumar, P Thilothaman, E Chandrasekharan, K T Jaleel, K K Shylaja and A K Saseendran, Chief Secretary Paul Antony, Planning Board Vice-Chairman V K Ramachandran, mayors, municipal chairpersons, and others were present.