Reiterating the government’s commitment to uphold its secular credentials, ensure gender justice and welfare of all sections, including forward communities, Governor P. Sathasivam has exhorted for taking the flood as a challenge and an opportunity for rebuilding the State.
The Governor, in his address to the Assembly on Friday, said that the rebuilding may take five years, but the government, though facing a serious resource crunch, would not confine itself to the execution of a rehabilitation and restoration plan.
A Post Disaster Needs Assessment conducted by various agencies had put the total loss at ₹26,718 crore and the recovery needs at ₹31,000 crore. The Centre would provide only ₹5,000 crore.
Hence, it would pool the resources from the State Disaster Relief Fund and the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund.
Rebuilding and restoration of infrastructure facilities alone would cost ₹15,882 crore. The government would raise ₹7,000 crore from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. It is also looking forward for a positive Central response for enhancing borrowing limit for resource mobilisation.
LIFE Mission has provided 13 designs for flood resilient houses and the beneficiaries could have their choice.
Gender justice
The government is duty bound to implement the Supreme Court verdict granting unrestricted entry for women into Sabarimala Ayyappa temple. The untoward incidents that followed the implementation of the verdict accents the need to focus on renaissance values and the government would set up a museum to commemorate the contributions of social reformers. The Governor reminisced the 10% reservation granted for the economically backward among the forward communities.
Pensions
A new company, Kerala Social Security Pension Limited, would be constituted for disbursing ₹550 crore as pension to 42 lakh beneficiaries under the Finance Department. A Pravasi Dividend Pension Scheme would be launched to provide pension to Non-Resident Keralites against a one-time deposit of ₹5 lakh in Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board.
Tribal welfare
The government will provide one job to one tribal family. Skill development programmes and a special recruitment drive too have been envisaged for them.
An Intelligent Building Plan and Management System will be introduced to expedite the issuance of building permits.
Oorja Kerala Mission has been launched for executing five major projects, including generation of 1,000 MW solar energy.
A Comprehensive Disease Surveillance Programme has been envisaged with the support of WHO. All public health centres will be transformed into family health centres in two years.
Two railway lines would be laid from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod for semi high-speed trains.
Biometric punching and e-filing system would be introduced in all government offices in a year, he said.