Developmental Activities
Public
health Activities
Public
Health, sanitation and vital statistics are the most important
statutory obligations of the urban local bodies. Under the
statute not less than 30% of the annual revenue of each
urban local body is to be earmarked for public health activities.
Sweeping of roads, collection, removal and disposal of rubbish,
removal of noxious vegetation, the adoption of preventive
measures against the spread of communicable diseases, the
cleaning and watering of drains, prevention of adulteration
of food stuffs, medical and health care of expectant mothers
and children through maternity and child welfare centers
are a few among the wide range of health activities of the
urban local bodies.’
There
are Health officers in Corporations and in major Municipalities
and Health Supervisors of Health Inspectors in Minor Municipalities
to supervise the public health activities. Besides, there
are other health staff in Municipalities such as Lady Medical
Officers, Food Inspectors, Health Inspectors, Junior Health
Inspectors, Lady At tenders, Junior Public Health Nurse
etc.
The
staff pattern of health branch of each municipality is based
on the norms prescribed as per GO(P) 337/68/DD) dated 28/6/68
subject to slight variations in certain cases taking into
consideration of the topographical and local conditions
as well as financial position. The staff strength during
the year under report in each Municipality is furnished
here under.
E.
(i) Health Officer Grade. I
Kochi 1
Kozhikode 1
Thiruvananthapuram 2
Thrissur 1
(ii) Health Officer Grade II
Kottayam 1
Alappuzha 1
Kollam 1
Palakkad 1
(iii) Health Officer Gr. II/Asst. Health Officer.
F. Health Supervisor
Thiruvananthapuram 1
Kochi 2
Kozhikode 1
Lady
Medical Officer
Kollam 1
Kochi 1
Kozhikode 1
G
Health Inspector
4 Health Inspectors Grade II in major Municipalities. One
for prosecution, general health mosquito control activities.
One for slaughter house and markets
One for lorry, trenching ground and a manure depot.
One for Food activities.
There shall be one first Health Inspector in every municipality.
He will attend to all items of work relating to public health
including food adulteration.
H.
Junior Health Inspector
In major as well as minor group of municipalities there
will be at least three Junior Health Inspectors (One for
registration and vital statistic and immunisation and two
for supervision of sanitary arrangements and licenses).
Medical
officer, Junior Public Health Nurse, Nurses, Compounders
and Female Attendants.
For every maternity and child welfare center there will
be one Junior Public Health Nurse. On e Female Attendant
and one part time sweeper in
Name
of Municipality No. of maternity & Child welfare Centers
1
Kollam 12
2 Punalur 4
3 Thiruvalla 1
4 Pathanamthitta 4
5 Alappuzha 6
6 Cherthala 4
7 Kayamkulam 2
8 Mavelikkara 1
9 Chengannoor 1
10 Changanacherry 4
11 Kottayam 3
12 Vaikom 1
13 North Parur 2
14 Perumpavoor 4
15 Moovattupuzha 2
16 Kodamangalam 1
17 Thrissur 4
18 Irinjalakuda 2
19 Kunnamkulam 1
20 Chalakkudy 2
21 Shornur 1
22 Malappuram 2
23 Tirur 2
24 Mancheri 3
25 Vadakara 3
26 Palakkadu 3
27 Kannur 1
28 Guruvayoor 1
29 Kochi 13
30 Thiruvananthapuram 35
31 Kozhikode 7
Apart from the above, some of the Municipalities are running
dispensaries for which one Medical Officer is posted on
remunarisations/ salary basis.
The Government have decided to
hotels and restaurants as early in 1986 in the five city
corporations and continued during the period under report.
As per this system every employee working in a hotel/restaurant
as a cook or supplier or dealing with food articles in any
other way shall be certified to be fit for the purpose by
a competent Medical Officer and no employee shall be permitted
to deal with food if he is not healthy or is suffering from
any contagious or other diseases. Every employee in any
hotel or restaurant not being a casual labourer will be
subjected to a medical check up once in 6 months by a competent
medical officer. Detailed instructions towards the introduction
of health cards to hotel employees wear issued by the department
as early in April 1989 as per circular No.D-12628/89 dated
29-4-89 of the Director of Municipal Administration. This
is being reviewed periodically.
Licenses
and Fees
The
persons/companies conducting all trades business etc. are
to be licensed under D & O Trade License Conditions
after realising a fee fixed by the councils concerned. Any
persons who desired to use any such place shall apply to
the Municipal Secretary 30 days prior to the commencement
of the financial year (or before the commencement of the
trade) for license. By virtue of section 492(15) of the
Kerala
Municipalities Act a person will be deemed to have obtained
a license, if license is not issued by the Secretary within
the stipulated time, under the provisions of the Act the
council can levy a fee in accordance with the law.
Since
the very purpose of licensing is to have effective control
over the trades and there by to ensure that such trades
do not become a source of public nuisance and health hazard
problems a new system of assessment and collection of fees
and issue of license was introduced as per circular No D-9885/89
dated 1-4-89 of the Director of Municipal Administration.
The progress of implementation had been watched and got
reviewed by the Regional Joint Director at Regional level
and by the Joint Director of Municipal Administration (Health)
at Directorate level.
Destruction
of stray dogs
Dog
catchers are engaged by the municipal councils to seize
and destroy stray dogs to prevent Rabies menace. Remuneration
as fixed by Government per dog is paid to the dog catchers.
A considerable amount is being spent by the urban local
bodies for the seizure and destruction of stray dogs.
Health
Officers
Health
Officers are the officials to conduct overall supervision
of the health work and the work of the Health Supervisor,
Health Inspectors and the Junior Health Inspectors of the
concerned local body. They have conducted field visits every
day and supervised check of mustering occasionally.
Vital
Statistics
Registration
of Births and Deaths with in the town limit is a statutory
function of the urban local bodies. Registration of events
and issue of certificates of births and deaths are done
by the urban local bodies. The Health Inspectors of the
municipalities are designated as the Registrar of Births
and Deaths also.
Prevention
of Food Adulteration
The
municipal councils are responsible for the implementation
of the the prevention of food adulteration Act and Rules
made thereunder in their respective areas. The Municipal
Secretaries and Health Officers (where there are Health
Officers) are declared to be the the local Health Authority.
The community as a whole is benefited by the activities
done by the municipal councils. Food Inspectors in all the
urban local bodies are authorised to attend to sampling
work by Government notifications. They collect samples of
all varieties of food articles exposed for sale and send
them to Government Analysts. If any article is found adulterated
the persons concerned are prosecuted under the provisions
of the Food Adulteration Act and 50% of the fines realised
from the accused are paid over to the urban local bodies
concerned. But this item of work could not be carried of
satisfactorily for want of Food Inspectors in all urban
local bodies since the introduction of amended Central Act.
Detailed reviews on Food Adulteration activities has been
conducted at the Directorate level by the Joint
Director (Health).
A
sizable section of the people in the urban areas used to
take food from hotels and restaurants at least once in a
week while a very large number of people depend entirely
on hotels and restaurants for their food. Evidently more
than 60% of the people approaching the hospitals and dispensaries
are victims of diseases spread through food articles. The
above facts could give the magnitude of the problems of
health and sanitation in hotels and restaurants in the cities
and towns. The department has realised these and steps were
taken to ensure personal hygiene of persons working in eating
houses etc. persons who are dealing with food article viz.
Preparing and supplying should not suffer from any disease.
Medical and other Institution
Dispensaries
are being run by certain urban local bodies .
The
Municipal council, Thrissur has provided a relief settlement
to accommodate the destitute under Cochin Vagrancy Act.
These institutions are being maintained in a befitting manner.
A poor home which is establishment and run by Dharmadom
Panchant at Thottada in Kannur District gets the support
of Thalasserry is set apart for this institution every year.
Kochi Corporation has been running a Relief Settlement Center
for the benefit of destitutes. Kollam and Guruvayur municipalities
also run poor homes. Apart from his, financial assistance
is being given by other urban local bodies also for the
poor homes run by the religious/voluntary institutions through
out the State.
Universal
Immunisation Programmed in Urban Areas
According
to 1991 census 4.77 million people i.e.. 16.2% of the total
population of Kerala are living in urban areas. The overcrowding
in urban areas is an important factor for the spread of
diseases. In urban slums a large number of children die
or become disabled due to preventable diseases. Hence immunisation
is essential in urban areas especially in urban slums. Tetanus,
Diphtheria, Whooping cough, tuberculosis, polio and measles
are important vaccine preventable diseases. For the goal
of total eradication, immunisation programme in the urban
area is very important. Such child welfare activities are
implemented in these areas by the Municipal health staff
and department of health services with the active participation
of public.
Despite
the availability of health facilities in urban areas immunisation
coverage is relatively low because of high migration rates,
lack of giving more importance to immunisation, shortage
of health personal etc. Inspite of all these bottlenecks
the urban local bodies are implementing the immunisation
programme in the urban areas without incurring any additional
expenditure.
The
urban local body is responsible for the immunisation of
all children and pregnant woman. The urban local bodies
have conducted the immunisation programme with co-operation
of Health Department, Social Welfare Department and voluntary
Organisations and Private Hospitals. Health Department had
done a vital role in implementing this programme. Man power
and materials are supplied by the health department
******************
Deputy Collector, Chairperson, District Medical Officer,
District social welfare Officer are members of the Advisory
Committee.
Town
level committee consists of Municipal Chairperson, Municipal
Secretary, Senior Doctor in charge of P.11. Centre, representative
of Government and non Government agencies involved in Health
2 or 3 councilors and Secretary will be the convener. The
ward level committee functions with the following members.
6.
Councilor
7. Health Staff from local body
8. Representative of Mahila Samajam /other Non-Government
agencies
9. Doctor in charge of hospital in that area
10. Others, if any
An
official from the health staff of the local body will be
the convener of the Committee. Municipal health staff are
the persons responsible for the implementation of the programme.
They are responsible for fixing the place/camp/date/time
etc. in consultation with others.
Educational,
Cultural and Social Activities
Pre-primary education is one of the fields were the urban
local bodies are doing useful service. Nursery schools are
run by some of the municipalities, libraries and reading
rooms are provided by most of the urban local bodies. Some
municipal libraries have got large number of books and periodical.
Radio, T.V. sets were provided by most of the municipalities
at different places. Maintenance of parks, play grounds,
poor home, beggar homes etc. are some of the services rendered
by the councils. Some municipalities have provided children’s
recreation clubs. Financial assistance is also being given
to libraries, sports associations, private medical institutions
etc. by municipal council by way of grants.
Training
of Municipal employees
Training
was given to different categories of employees at Kerala
institute of Local Administration, Thrissur.
2.
General Purpose Grant
It
is a per capita grant payable to the municipal Corporations,
Municipalities as Laid down in the Kerala Municipalities
(General Purpose Grant-in-aid) Rules issued as per notification
No. 7441/D1/HLD dated 28-08-1966. General Purpose grant
is being given at the following rates for the maintenance
of the civic services that are not eligible for grant assistance
from Government.
1. Corporations and Grade –I Municipalities Rs. 2/-
per head
2. Municipalities Grade II RS 2.50 per head
3. Municipalities Grade II RS 3/- per head
Specific
Purpose Grant
The
Kerala Municipalities (Payment of specific Purpose Grant-in-aid)
rules 1967 provides for payment of grant to the urban local
bodies for the maintenance of the following selected services
i)
Maintenance of maternity and child welfare centers
j) Maintenance of family planning centers
k) Maintenance of relief centers and beggar homes
l) Anti mosquito and anti fileria services
m) Running of Nursery schools
n) Maintenance of ferry services
o) Town Planning and Town Survey operations
p) All constructions and equipments being provided for furtherance
of any of the above services.
The
specific purpose grant is payable at the following rate
1) In the case of municipal corporations and 50% of the
expenditure
major municipalities (Gr.I &II) for the maintenance
of the above is available
to them without any condition and the rest of 25% is paid
after productions of audit certificate for the expenditure
incurred for the maintenance of the selected services.
Vehicle
Tax Compensation
The
urban local bodies in the State are being paid Vehicle tax
compensation under the Kerala Motor Vehicle Taxation act
based on the length of roads maintained by each local body.
The annual compensation payable shall be fixed in advance
for the period of five years on the recommendation of the
committee to be appointed by Government from time to time
Payment
of grant-in-aid to Trivandrum Corporation for lighting the
High Way
RS 12 lakhs is being made available to Trivandrum Corporation
every year as grant-in-aid to meet the additional expenditure
incurred towards lighting the High ways of the city. The
Corporation of Trivandrum is enjoying this benefit as the
State Capital city.
Municipal Councils
There were 53 Municipalities and five city Corporations
in the State.
At least one meeting of the council is to be held in every
month. It is a statutory provision. But the councils can
meet any number of time during a month for official purposes.
A member of Corporations / Municipal councils is entitled
to get an allowance of RS 1000/-, RS 600/- respectively
per moth as per G.O. (MS) No. 300/95/LAD dated 12-12-95.
The Mayor/Chairman is entitled to get consolidated allowance
of RS 3,000/-, 2,500/- respectively.
This
department has already adopted Malayalam as its medium of
correspondence with the urban local bodies, Government and
general public. Use of English has been reduced to the maximum.
Now about 95% of the correspondence is in Malayalam.
