Kerala - Kozhikode   

Stress on expediting development works

KOZHIKODE: Embarking on a campaign mode to invigorate the People’s Planning initiative, Minister for Local Self-Government Paloli Mohammed Kutty and Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac sought to impress upon elected representatives and officials of the three-tier panchayats about the necessity of approaching projects such as the EMS Housing Scheme, NREGS and Kudumbasree in an integrated fashion and achieving concrete results before the panchayat elections next year.

The Ministers were in Kozhikode on Saturday to address the regional conference of three-tier panchayat presidents and panchayat secretaries of Kozhikode, Kannur, Kasaragod and Wayanad districts to launch a public campaign to take forward the ‘Ellavarkum Veedu, Ellavarkum Thozhil’ project.

Inaugurating the conference, Mr. Mohammed Kutty said work on the EMS Housing Scheme should be speeded up by classifying those who were already in possession of land in the first list to begin their house construction this year, while the landless were to be classified in a second list.

The officials will be directed to find land for them within a year so as to begin house construction in the second year.

The Minister asked the officials to ensure steady flow of raw materials, labour and cash to ensure that the construction does not falter midway owing to resource constraints.

Dr. Isaac was critical of the fund utilisation by local bodies and pointed out that Rs.1,200 crore of funds meant for development works under local bodies remained unused in the treasury due to lack of initiative on the part of the officials concerned to come up with project ideas.

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