THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala is not a rich state but offers best living standards for common man, Finance Minister Thomas Isaac has said.
“Kerala’s development is exemplary. People are living in international standards. Majority have accessibility to the best in education, food and housing. All these were due to the social progress we made,” he said.
The minister was delivering the inaugural address at an international workshop on ‘analysis of participatory democracy’ at IMG here on Monday.
Isaac said the current challenge before the state is to give employment to lakhs of educated youths on a par with their educational qualification and skills.
More steps are needed to bring the marginalised like tribesmen and women to the mainstream. It is time to implement a comprehensive social security scheme. Decentralisation efforts were started by the first government. People’s Planning changed the state’s face. The government has launched four missions named Haritha Keralam. Life, Aardram and another one to improve public education to further the state’s progress.
Isaac said Kerala is in the second phase of People’s Planning where local self-governments can embark on new experiences in decentralisation.
The workshop was organised by the institute for the study of international development in association with Tata Institute of Social Studies and IMG.