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The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Ward delimitation exercise in Kerala local bodies completed: State Delimitation Commission
The State Delimitation Commission said on Tuesday that it has completed the ward delimitation exercise in the local body wards of Kerala. In the final leg of the exercise, the Commission published the final notification on the ward delimitation in the 14 district panchayats. The Commission headed by State Election Commissioner A. Shajahan said it finalised the notifications on ward delimitation in the three-tier panchayats, municipalities and corporations after hearing all petitioners and examining all the complaints and objections that were filed. This was also the first time that the Commission opted for the open source software-based Qfield app for the delimitation exercise to map ward boundaries. This ensured precision and speed, Mr. Shajahan said, reiterating that the digital maps can be used by the government, local bodies and other agencies for planning and development purposes. It was in June 2024 that the State government issued a notification forming the delimitation commission for redrawing the boundaries of local body wards. The mammoth exercise was conducted in three phases, where wards in the grama panchayats, municipalities and corporations were covered in the first, block panchayat wards in the second and district panchayat wards in the third. The Commission had as its members Chief Electoral Officer (Kerala) Rathan U. Kelkar, and other government secretaries K. Biju, S. Harikishore and K. Vasuki. Local Self Government joint director S. Josnamol served as secretary to the Commission. Revision of number of wards Last year, the State government had issued a notification revising the number of wards based on the 2011 census population. This entailed an increase in the number of wards in grama, block and district panchayats, municipalities and Corporations from 21,900 to 23,612. In the 87 municipalities, the number of wards rose to 3,241, in the six Corporations to 421, and in the 941 grama panchayats, to 17,337. In the 152 block panchayats, the number of wards went up to 2267, and in the 14 district panchayats, to 346. Cherpulassery municipality and the Thrikkadeeri panchayat in Palakkad district were exempted from the current delimitation as the wards in the two local bodies had been reorganised in 2015. After holding public hearings on the draft notifications, the Commission had published the final notifications on the ward delimitation in the grama panchayats on May 19 and municipalities and corporations on May 27. The final notification on the block panchayats was issued on July 10 and notification on the district panchayat wards, on August 12.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- The Hindu
Fourth-grader's ordeal spurs Statewide action for child protection
The General Education department has come up with a comprehensive action plan aimed at identifying the violence and abuse faced by children at home and in society, and ensuring their protection. Speaking to media persons after visiting a nine-year-old girl who was physically abused by her father and stepmother at Charumoodu in Alappuzha on Saturday, General Education Minister V. Sivankutty said that the Suraksha Mithram project would help identify the problems faced by children and provide them with the necessary protection. 'The distressing experience recently faced by a fourth-grade girl has shocked the conscience of us all. When I met her, I felt deep pain in my heart. Despite the incident, she spoke to me with a smile on her face. Violence against children will not be tolerated under any circumstances. The government is handling this matter with utmost seriousness and will ensure that the child receives all necessary protection and assistance,' the Minister said. 'Help box' at schools As part of the Suraksha Mithram project, a 'help box' will be installed in all schools for children to confidentially record their complaints and distressing experiences. 'This will be under the responsibility of the headmaster or headmistress. The box should be opened at least once a week, and the information received should be assessed and reported to the Education department for further action,' Mr. Sivankutty said. The Minister said that teachers would be given special training to observe changes in children's behaviour or learning, and identify whether there were any problems. 'Emphasis will be placed on monitoring children and interacting with them in a friendly manner. Through initiatives such as diary writing and zero hour, children will be given opportunities to openly share their thoughts with teachers,' he said. Mr. Sivankutty said the project would be implemented in collaboration with departments such as Women and Child Development, Social Justice, Local Self Government, Health, and Police. Assistance from these departments will be sought to ensure that children receive the necessary medical care, counselling, and rehabilitation. The functioning of existing systems like the Child Welfare Committee and the helpline 1098 will also be made more effective, the Minister added. Enhancing parenting clinics The Minister said that existing parenting clinics would be made more active to provide counselling to parents facing problems. 'Government homes and special homes are functioning for children in need of protection, and these facilities will be utilised to the fullest extent,' Mr. Sivankutty said, adding that the Director of Public Education would soon issue a standard operating procedure for the safety and protection of children.
New Indian Express
01-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
From crisis to boom: How Thrithala recharged its groundwater sources
PALAKKAD: In a remarkable turnaround, Thrithala constituency in Palakkad -- once flagged as semi-critical for groundwater availability -- has emerged today as a model for water conservation and sustainable development. Thanks to the pioneering 'Susthira Thrithala' project launched in 2022, the region has undergone a significant ecological transformation, proving how local governance and scientific planning can tackle one of India's most pressing environmental challenges. Spearheaded by M B Rajesh, Minister for Local Self Government, Rural Development, and Excise - and the sitting MLA of Thrithala - the innovative water conservation project has successfully addressed declining groundwater levels through a holistic approach that includes rainwater harvesting, artificial recharge systems, and integrated environmental initiatives. Over the past four years, the project has added the capacity to harvest and store over 5 crore litres of rainwater within the constituency. Notably, Thrithala also became the first Legislative Assembly constituency in the country to implement a comprehensive water budget at the constituency level, encompassing all its grama panchayats.
