Social Auditing in agriculture sector soon
Social auditing will soon be implemented in the Agriculture sector, said Shri. Mullakkara Ratnakaran, Minister for Agriculture, Government of Kerala. He was inaugurating a meeting on paddy cultivation in 2,514 hectares of fallow land in the district under the National Food Security Mission (NFSM) at the Palakkad collectorate.
To generate interest in agriculture and increase the use of farmlands, selected persons would be given training to create labour groups, which will function at the block panchayat level. The Agriculture University and Raidco were given the task of providing machines for farm operations. The Centre had allotted Rs.188.85 lakh under the National Food Security Mission in 2008-09 for the district, he said.
Already 806 hectares of fallow land was brought under paddy cultivation in the district in 2008-09 and it would be expanded to 1,708 hectares. A survey would be conducted on this land and suitable schemes prepared.
“In every scheme implemented by the government in the agriculture sector, social auditing will be done on its beneficiaries, amount spent and the area in which the project was implemented or benefited", minister added.
Kerala flies high
The proposed railway coach factory at Kanjikode in Palakkad district will be functional soon, said Shri. V.S. Achuthanandan, Chief Minister of Kerala while inaugurating the College of Applied Sciences of the Institute of Human Resources Development (IHRD) at Kallepully on Sunday. The land for the Rs. 5,000-crore project has been acquired and the work is progressing very fast.
For the upliftment of the Malampuzha tourism complex and garden, Rs. 6 crore is spent. Also an integrated drinking water supply scheme for Malampuzha is taken up. As part of the unprecedented development in the State, IT parks in each district; SmartCity in Kochi and Technocity in Thiruvananthapuram would make the State a major IT destination. The sector itself would provide employment to two lakh people.
Also the government had taken steps to set up a mega port at Vizhinjam, near Thiruvananthapuram and the land for the Kannur airport would be acquired by January. In Attappady, one of the most backward tribal areas, an engineering college of the IHRD was set up. He said the government had lifted appointment ban and 65,000 people got jobs through the Kerala Public Service Commission. The government had taken steps to provide houses for all houseless people.
Heralding Makaravilakku Pilgrimage at Sabarimala
The Kerala government has taken steps for the smooth functioning of the annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage at Sabarimala that begins in mid-November. 13 committees had been constituted to make arrangements for pilgrims at the base camps and satellite centres en route to Sabarimala. The Kerala Water Authority, the Kerala State Pollution Control Board and the Travancore Devaswom Board would form a taskforce to overcome pollution in Pampa and the pollution sources would be identified.
The Travancore Devaswom Board should constitute a five-member squad to check unauthorised buying and selling at Sabarimala, Pampa and along the trekking path, said Shri. K. Jayakumar, Additional Chief Secretary (Devaswom) at a meeting held at the Pathanamthitta Collectorate on 20 September 2008.
Shri. Jayakumar also summoned the officials to see the problems of pilgrims with a humanitarian viewpoint and not just as a mere official duty. He stressed the need for opening authorised medical stores at Pampa and Sannidhanam, especially during the pilgrim season and care taken to sanction shops only under the guidelines prescribed in the Sabarimala master plan. Also the Board should check that fire safety norms were in complying with in the shops, besides taking steps to check food adulteration.
