Kudumbashree units allowed to take up minor repair works

Thiruvananthapuram: In a significant step that may address delay in minor repair works of roads and buildings, the government has entrusted skilled workers under Kudumbashree to undertake the repair works that were being done by key government departments.
The finance department has issued the order permitting women’s construction groups and Arise (Acquiring Resilience and Identity through Sustainable Employment) multi-task teams that have been registered under Kudumbashree to undertake works up to Rs 2lakh in the public works, irrigation, water resources and local self-government departments. The works will be awarded on nomination basis, and not on tender basis.
The move is in the wake of engineers in charge of maintenance from these departments citing non-availability of skilled labour for such works in a time-bound manner and the delay had been inviting adverse comments from the high court as well as the media.
Presently, there are 288 construction groups as well as 216 multi-task teams registered under Kudumbashree. The works worth a maximum of Rs 25 lakh in a year will be entrusted to Kudumbashree team in a particular public works division.
The works will include filling of potholes in roads, cleaning of choked drains, cutting and moving of branches of roadside trees, small repairs of culverts, cleaning of public buildings in the pre-monsoon period and petty works and maintenance of public buildings.
The works of repetitive nature like the annual maintenance contract of water supply, sanitary and electrical works will be handed over to Arise groups. Though the groups will be selected on nomination basis, each group will be given works of not more than Rs 10lakh.
Kudumbashree had launched Arise program after the 2018 floods. Under this, the Kudumbashree had provided training to about 10,000 youths in various disciplines, including electrical works, electronics repairing, plumbing, housekeeping, data entry, sales, laundry and ironing, day-care and agriculture and allied works. Training was given to about 3,000 youths in plumbing, electrical works and basic masonry. The training that was provided from December 15, 2018 till March 31, 2019, contained both theory sessions as well as practical classes.
The government had then utilized the services of Kudumbashree in restoring the houses that were hit by the floods. The Kudumbashree-trained plumbers, electricians and mechanical workers were hired by the local self-governments in restoring the electrical fittings and plumbing lines of houses.