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Isaac sceptical about Janasree scheme

— Photo: S. Ramesh Kurup

Evaluation: Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac speaking at a review meeting of Kudumbasree at Kozhikode on Monday.

Kozhikode: Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac has said the recently floated Janasree, modelled on the lines of the decade-old Kudumbasree, will not augur well for the State.

The new organisation would create dual memberships and members would not have commitment to either of the organisations. Volunteers with their dual membership would secure loans with the backing of both organisations. This would not only drive a wedge between the two organisations but also lead to chaos of the now orderly run Kudumbasree Misssion, Mr. Isaac said while inaugurating a Kudumbasree district-level review meeting here on Monday.

The Kudumbasree was a government-sponsored initiative having a methodical networking of over 36 lakh women in the State. The 1.85-lakh neighbourhood groups that form the backbone of the system were involved in the activities of the grama panchayat and different departments. The camaraderie existing among them was seen no where in the country. The programmes had brought a new lease of life into the common people and these had a major influence in empowering the womenfolk of the State, he said.

The Kudumbasree’s assets exceeded Rs.1,000 crore. The target next year would be another Rs.1,000 crore, he added.

The Minister pointed out that Kudumbasree had not political affiliation. It members belonged to different classes, castes, religions and political parties. The Kudumbasree Mission was launched when E.K. Nayanar was the Chief Minister, a decade ago. The programme was extended to all grama panchayats in the State during the tenure of A.K. Antony and Oommen Chandy.

He said the government had already initiated the process of implementing the proposal to disburse pension to retired Kudumbasree volunteers. The members belonging to the below Poverty Line would get a monthly pension of Rs.250 while the others, Rs.200.

The Minister said lease-land farming had evoked a positive response from Kudumbasree units in the district. It was implemented in 820 grama panchayats with the participation of 30,914 neighbourhood groups. Nearly 2,41,275 families were involved in the farming system. Banana, paddy, vegetables, tapioca, ginger were cultivated.

Mr. Isaac expressed dissatisfaction at the lacklustre performance of the Kudumbasree Mission in the district.

He said only 20 out of the 78 grama panchayats in the district scored a distinction in implementing various schemes at their respective local bodies. The assessment was done based on the performance in different spheres of activity.

There were good as well as poorly performing grama panchayats. However, a majority of them could be classified under the second category. The best among them was the Kurachundu grama panchayat, he said.

A large number of grama panchayats failed to maintain accounts. Just 19 grama panchayats embarked on generating self-employment schemes and 22 of them had properly put into operation lease land framing, Mr. Isaac said.

The Minister said that the local bodies needed to substantially improve their functioning in maintaining accounts and start a new culture focussing on farming. The badly performing grama panchayats could emulate the achievements of those local bodies that successfully implemented the schemes.

He cited examples of some grama panchayats in the south in executing different types of schemes. The coastal Kanjikuzhi grama panchayat in Alappuzha district made history by growing vegetables on white sand. Now, the grama panchayat was not only self-sufficient in vegetables but also selling the produce in Ernakulam markets.

If the Kanjikuzhi grama panchayat could produce vegetables on its unfertile soil, almost all grama panchayats in Kozhikode district, known for its productive soil, could do wonders. The Kudumbasree should take a leaf out of the programme of a Kudumbasree unit in Thiruvananthapuram district by creating a labour bank to meet manpower requirement in the district in farming and construction sectors.

The Minister also made a suggestion to Kozhikode District Panchayat president K.P. Kunhahamed to strive for cultivating vegetables and paddy. The district could very well produce half of its requirement within three months, Mr. Isaac said.

Deputy Mayor P.T. Abdul Latheef was also present on the occasion.

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