THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:The State Government will make up for any cuts in Central share for social welfare projects with its own funds, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said on Sunday.
Addressing the valedictory of the international conference on deepening democracy at Kovalam, Chandy said that anganwadis and similar social welfare institutions will not suffer from paucity of funds.
“Democratic organisations the world over should share their experiences and models,” he said.
“Kudumbashree and Ashraya are two projects from the state that can be upheld as models for the whole world,” Chandy said.
“People do not expect democratic institutions to impart the same services that they had offered 25 years ago anymore. Such organisations should be able to rise to the people’s expectations,” he said.
Social Justice Minister M K Muneer, who presided over the function, said that social justice is the scale with which the efficacy of decentralisation and Local- Self Government institutions are measured. So far, the State Government has sanctioned Rs 900 crore for asset creation in LSG institutions through the Kerala Local Government Service Delivery Project.
“With the Centre poised to divest more powers to the state during the next five years, local bodies can play a major role in rights-based development,” he said.
Sikkim Rural Development Minister S B Subedi, Local Government Commission chairman Kutty Ahmed Kutty, Block Panchayat Association president M Manikantan, Grama Panchayat Association president P T Mathew, LSG Principal Secretary James Varghese, Panchayat director C A Latha, Kerala Institute of Local Administration director P P Balan and other officials attended.