Govt appoints spl envoy to manage rebuilding activities
TNN | Feb 2, 2019, 23:48 IST
Thiruvananthapuram: The government has appointed an officer – who would act as a single-point contact – to deal with all organizations and high net-worth individuals (HNIs) who have extended their help to rebuild the state.
Government appointed industries director K Biju — an IAS officer from 2006 batch — as the ‘chief minister’s envoy extraordinary’ to deal with all matters relating to investment offers and post-flood activities. With multiple organizations and individuals extending their help to rebuild Kerala, several of them had raised a concern about the multiplicity of command centres while dealing with the government.
Sources said that unlike usual missions or even officers who are asked to coordinate in such cases, the officer will be in touch with the chief minister directly, prioritize projects, and ensure that all projects are given single-window clearance without going through the routine bureaucratic processes. “Even the designation given to the officer has been chosen deliberately to give a message that he will act as a direct link with the chief minister for all purposes to avoid red tape,” said top sources.
The envoy extraordinary will also have an outside support team that will analyze priorities and ready necessary documents. “The single-window clearance will be led by a committee headed by the chief secretary, which would mean the projects will not have to go through the usual bureaucratic processes,” sources said.
Sources added that over 100 organizations, corporate houses and HNIs have expressed interest in building houses, making investments that can offer new jobs to those who were hit by the calamity. Interestingly, the government made such an arrangement when it had set up a mission to rebuild the state, in which there is an advisory body headed by principal secretary (revenue) V Venu.
Sources said the mission will focus on those initiatives that are being funded by organizations like UN and KfW, which is the German government-owned development bank. Such works will continue to be implemented through the mission, sources added.
Government appointed industries director K Biju — an IAS officer from 2006 batch — as the ‘chief minister’s envoy extraordinary’ to deal with all matters relating to investment offers and post-flood activities. With multiple organizations and individuals extending their help to rebuild Kerala, several of them had raised a concern about the multiplicity of command centres while dealing with the government.
Sources said that unlike usual missions or even officers who are asked to coordinate in such cases, the officer will be in touch with the chief minister directly, prioritize projects, and ensure that all projects are given single-window clearance without going through the routine bureaucratic processes. “Even the designation given to the officer has been chosen deliberately to give a message that he will act as a direct link with the chief minister for all purposes to avoid red tape,” said top sources.
The envoy extraordinary will also have an outside support team that will analyze priorities and ready necessary documents. “The single-window clearance will be led by a committee headed by the chief secretary, which would mean the projects will not have to go through the usual bureaucratic processes,” sources said.
Sources added that over 100 organizations, corporate houses and HNIs have expressed interest in building houses, making investments that can offer new jobs to those who were hit by the calamity. Interestingly, the government made such an arrangement when it had set up a mission to rebuild the state, in which there is an advisory body headed by principal secretary (revenue) V Venu.
Sources said the mission will focus on those initiatives that are being funded by organizations like UN and KfW, which is the German government-owned development bank. Such works will continue to be implemented through the mission, sources added.
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