Kerala, September 02: The draft proposes to make delivery of various government services mandatory. Failure of officials to provide the services within specified time would attract fine on the lines of the Right to Information Act.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told the media after the Cabinet meeting that the services to be brought under the purview of the Bill would be proposed by various departments. They would be discussed with employees unions before final decision is taken on the matter.
The government wants to achieve efficient delivery of services to the citizens, but would take the employees into confidence and seek their cooperation.
The Cabinet had further approved, in principle, a proposal to introduce financial and social audit for projects costing more than Rs. 250 crore, towards checking corruption. It entrusted the State Planning Board to work out the details.
The Cabinet also approved a whistle blower protection policy, on the lines of the one proposed by the Chief Vigilance Commission, in principle. A four member committee with two people from outside the State would be set up to work out the details. The policy seeks to protect officials and others who disclose information about corruption. “The key to the policy will be the set up to examine the credibility of the information and keep the names of informants secret,” Mr. Chandy said.
Hill and coastal development
The Cabinet also decided to form the Hill Area Development Authority and Coastal Area Development Authority. This was a decision taken by the previous government which was not pursued by the LDF government on the ground that development authorities did not help much in development.
Kannur Congress in-fight
Asked about the infighting in the Kannur District Congress Committee, the Chief Minister said that undesirable things had happened in the Kannur unit. The party would see to it that such incidents are not repeated.
Attappady Package
On the criticism from within the Congress about the Attappady Package proposed by the government, Mr. Chandy said that the Congress always welcomed suggestions to improve packages and schemes. The Government only wanted to do good to the tribals. Their alienated land would be restored and action would be taken against those who had encroached upon their land. An arrangement with the wind energy company, who had set up generating units on their land, would be worked out only if they wished to profit from that.
He said that social equity would be served by the government decision regarding community quota in self-financing professional colleges. Last year, the quota was available to the minority communities which run majority of the colleges. This year, it had been extended to colleges belonging to majority communities also.
–Agencies