Latest news with #LocalSelf-Governments
The Hindu
28-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
More CBG plants coming up across State, says Minister Rajesh
Apart from Kozhikode and Kochi, five more compressed biogas (CBG) plants are being set up in different parts of the State, Minister for Local Self-Governments M.B. Rajesh has said. He was here on Monday (July 28) to attend an event where an agreement was signed between the Kozhikode Corporation and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. to set up a CBG plant at Njeliyanparamba in the city. Mr. Rajesh said that CBG plants would come up in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Changanassery, Thrissur, and Palakkad as well. BPCL is involved in the projects in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam. A trial run for the Kochi plant, located at Brahmapuram, was being conducted at present. Around 150 tonnes of waste would be processed a day there. The plant could be commissioned by September this year, he said. Mr. Rajesh said that strict action would be taken against those who dump waste in public places instead of the dust bins installed for the purpose. He claimed that CBG plants would not only make cities clean but also lead to the creation of a commercial product in the form of biogas. The agreement was signed by T.V. Anupama, Special Secretary, Department of Local Self-Governments, K.U. Bini, Corporation Secretary, and P. Anil Kumar, Executive Director, BPCL. Minister for Public Works and Tourism P.A. Mohamed Riyas and Minister for Forests and Wildlife A.K. Saseendran, among others, were present. The CBG plant is coming up at an eight-acre plot at Njeliyanparamba. The cost of the project is ₹99 crore. The land has been handed over to BPCL on a 25-year lease. The work is expected to be completed in 24 months. The plant will have a capacity to process 150 tonnes to 180 tonnes of biowaste a day. From this, 56 tonnes of biogas and 20-25 tonnes of bio fertiliser can be generated a day. The biogas will be sold to Gas Authority of India Ltd., and a fuel station will be set up on the premises.
The Hindu
23-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Kerala government constitutes 7-member panel for preparing ‘State Water Security Plan'
The Kerala government is moving ahead with plans to create a 'State Water Security Plan', a requirement under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), the Centrally-assisted functional household tap connectivity (FHTC) scheme for rural areas. Given the multi-dimensional nature of water security, the government has constituted a committee with members from the Local Self-Governments, Irrigation, Ground Water, Revenue and Forest departments; and the Kerala Water Authority (KWA), and the Kerala Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (Jalanidhi). The character of the water security plan will be decided through deliberations, Jeevan Babu, managing director, KWA and mission director, JJM, said. KWA is the main implementation agency of JJM in Kerala. Deliberations will have to be held because of the involvement of multiple stakeholder agencies in surface and ground water resources and the diverse demands on these resources ranging from drinking water to irrigation and power generation. The panel has been formed on a recommendation made by the State Water and Sanitation Mission (SWSM), a committee chaired by the Chief Secretary which was constituted in 2020 to oversee the implementation of JJM. While Kerala is not a water-scarce State, it has been struggling to keep up with other States in the implementation of JJM. The Union Budget 2025-26 announcement extending the scheme till 2028 has brought relief to the State. With implementation at 54.66%, Kerala is at the bottom of the national-level list, indicate Union Jal Shakti Ministry data. Three blocks, 73 panchayats and 95 panchayats in Kerala have been certified as having 'Har Ghar Jal' status. Among the districts, Wayanad (37.90%), Idukki (36.93%) and Kasaragod (32.62%) are lagging behind in the implementation.
The Hindu
14-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Women participation in labour force to be raised to 50%: Minister
Women's participation in the labour force will be increased from 20% to 50%, Minister for Local Self-Governments M.B. Rajesh has said. He was speaking after performing the State-level inauguration of a meet of Kudumbashree community development society (CDS) chairpersons and release of CDS-level progress reports in Thiruvalla on Monday. The Minister said the Kudumbashree aimed at providing women skill training and employment in various sectors in association with the Vijnana Keralam project. 'The goal is to provide wage employment to one lakh women before Onam and three lakh women by March. This will pave the way for progress of their families and the State's economy. It will also help raise the State into the company of middle-income countries,' the Minister said. Mr. Rajesh said another goal of the Kudumbashree was increasing the membership of the self-help groups to 50 lakh. He pointed out that Kudumbashree had been able to bring women to the forefront of the State's social, political, and cultural spheres in the past quarter of a century. He spoke of the Kudumbashree Technology Advancement Programme, K4Care, Kudumbashree Premium Cafe, Ma Care that were being implemented by the Kudumbashree. Gift packets comprising Kudumbashree products will reach the market through the Pocketmart app in time for Onam, the Minister said. Mathew T. Thomas, MLA, in his presidential address, called for widespread diversification in Kudumbashree's future activities. CDS chairpersons from Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Idukki, and Ernakulam took part in the CDS meet. A presentation on the Kudumbashree's future activities and district presentations were also held. Kudumbashree executive director H. Dineshan was present.
The Hindu
02-07-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Kudumbashree to roll out ‘Ma Care' kiosks in Kerala schools
Kudumbashree that has made a name for itself with quality products manufactured by its microenterprises is making its presence felt on school campuses in Kerala too. Exemplifying the attention provided by mothers to the needs of their children, the Poverty Eradication and Women Empowerment Mission is making available stationery items needed by students through its 'Ma Care' kiosks in schools under the General Education department that have high schools and higher secondary sections. These kiosks will also store snacks and beverages, akin to canteens seen in unaided schools, besides sanitary napkins needed by girl students. Piloted in Kasaragod The project was piloted in Kasaragod district two years ago and was implemented in Kannur as a project of the district panchayat. The positive response to the venture in the two districts has led to its roll-out across the State. The Ma Care kiosks are more about food, say Kudumbashree officials. Students, they say, are often in need of pens, pencils, notebooks, and material for their projects. The kiosks will provide these to them on the school campus itself, thus reducing dependency on outside shops. Same with snacks and beverages. Many students partake themselves of such food outside campus, but hygiene remains a cause for concern. The Ma Care kiosks will provide unadulterated and quality snacks and tea and other beverages to students. There is no fixed menu, though the emphasis is on healthy snacks such as steamed items. In some places, students who are unable to bring food have also asked for packed meals to be provided to them. The Ma Care kiosks will consider such requests depending on what the school authorities and the Kudumbashree entrepreneurs decide. Sanitary napkins are another product that will find a place on the shelves of Ma Care kiosks. Teachers, Kudumbashree officials, say often purchase and stock these for students who may need them urgently. The kiosks will address this issue too. If there is not enough space to set up the kiosks on school premises, unused classrooms will be put to use. Both the students and the teachers can make purchases from the kiosks at reasonable rates, say the officials. Already in 72 schools The project was operational in 72 schools the past academic year. This year, the goal is to set up the kiosks in at least 1,000 high schools and higher secondary schools. This follows a decision taken at a meeting attended by Minister for Local Self-Governments M.B. Rajesh and Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty in May. Two Kudumbashree women entrepreneurs will man each kiosk, thereby providing regular income and employment for hundreds of Kudumbashree women. It is expected that in the long-term, at least 5,000 Kudumbashree women will be ensured a source of livelihood through 'Ma Care.' The Kudumbashree officials say that crowds of students hanging around shops near campuses may increase the possibility of anti-social acitivity there such as drug peddling. With stationery and snacks available within the school compound, the possibility of children being roped in for such activities is reduced.
The Hindu
11-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
State government formulates action plan to address waste management issues in capital
The State government has formulated a detailed action plan to address waste management issues in Thiruvananthapuram. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Minister for Local Self-Governments (LSG) M.B. Rajesh in the presence of Thiruvananthapuram Mayor Arya Rajendran and other LSGD officials. Special Secretary of the Local Self-Government department T.V. Anupama will be responsible for implementing the action plan. The progress of the action plan will be assessed weekly under the leadership of the Special Secretary. Mr. Rajesh said that a permanent solution will be found for waste management issues in the capital within four months. A compressed biogas (CBG) plant for treatment of biodegradable waste will be set up in partnership with the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL). This plant will be completed within a year and a half. The capacity of the existing Rapid Convert System will be increased to 50 tonnes to enable faster processing of biowaste. The modern abattoir at Kunnukuzhy will be inaugurated by the end of the month. A special plan will be formulated and implemented to collect and dispose of poultry waste properly. Detailed investigation A detailed investigation will be conducted regarding the forward linkage of private agencies collecting organic waste. The municipality and the Suchitwa Mission will jointly examine whether waste is being collected illegally and whether there are systems to manage the collected waste. The Minister also directed to strengthen enforcement activities against dumping waste. Prosecution proceedings will be initiated against those who have not yet paid the fines imposed for dumping waste. The Minister also directed to take strict action in cooperation with the police against those who are accused of more serious offences. Sufficient container Material Collection Facilities (MCF) will be established as a primary storage system for non-biodegradable waste. Currently, 20 container MCFs have been established. A detailed transportation plan will be prepared to transport the collected non-biodegradable waste. Within three weeks, 100 e-autos will be made available to the Harithakarma Sena for this purpose. The Harithakarma Sena volunteers will also be trained in driving these e-autos. Four large covered vehicles will also be ready for waste collection soon. Bulk waste generators The meeting also decided to prepare detailed guidelines for collecting waste from bulk waste generators. Arrangements will be made to collect waste daily from institutions that generate large amounts of non-biodegradable waste. Notices will be issued to large institutions immediately, instructing them to hand over the waste to an agency designated by the Corporation. The Minister also directed to take action to cancel the licenses of institutions that do not hand over waste properly. It was decided that the Harithakarma Sena will continue to collect waste from institutions that have to collect and remove waste only once a week (small institutions).
