THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: ‘Come to Kerala; Intern with our panchayats!’ would well sum up what is next for one of the most successful socio-political initiatives Kerala has ever witnessed. People’s Planning 2.0, envisaged by a group of experts, intends to take forward the much-appreciated democratic decentralisation initiative to the digital age, drawing up an action plan to generate enthusiasm among younger generations.
With People’s Planning set to complete 30 years on August 17, its key architects are planning a unique initiative to take forward the programme and hand over the baton to youngsters. As per the plan, students from across the country and the globe can come and intern at panchayats in the state so that local bodies could benefit from their technical expertise. For their part, the interns get real-time exposure to how local bodies function.
What stands out in the second phase would be a people’s history of People’s Planning, said former finance minister T M Thomas Isaac, one of the key architects of the initiative. A key focus area in the second phase would be internships with local bodies.
“We plan to approach universities and colleges, IITs and IIMs across the country, and team up with willing universities for the same. Students would get credits through these programmes. While students will get an opportunity to intern with local bodies, the panchayats in return would get technical support in different aspects like drawing up maps, data collection, conducting surveys, site inspections, and project preparation. The concept is to bring expertise from across the country to come and help with the functioning of panchayats,” said Isaac.
In addition to Isaac, veterans like Dr Joy Elamon and Jagjeevan too are part of the new initiative.
On Sunday a gathering of those behind the People’s Planning initiative would be held in the state capital to further discuss and give actual shape to the second phase.
“Unlike in the past, this second phase would be in tune with the digital age. We will have a portal around which the new phase will operate. It would document the past, and would be a space for technical volunteers. Any panchayat that wants technical support to draw up a project, they just need to ask. No payment required; we’d be able to provide. We would go and help them and continue to support even during implementation,” Isaac said. Panchayats can present their projects and related issues.
The portal will have a segment which would document experiences of the volunteers themselves. At least 5,000 write-ups would be put up. Isaac said he himself has completed around 500 such pieces as he has been into the job for a few years.
Of the activists who were part of the initiative in the beginning, about 25% have passed away. Of the rest, though many of them cannot have a second innings they are up to penning down their experiences. It will feature the sectors, processes and personalities among other aspects.
People would be able to search and find out details through key word search. It will be a three-volume collection, which he intends to sell for `4,000. It would be done in memory of Manmohan, who has been silently active with all these initiatives for long.
