Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlikar on Friday said the new state government is committed to implementing the Indira Guarantees, the five election promises made by the United Democratic Front, ensuring transparent governance by informing the public about the state’s financial situation, and tackling drug abuse.
Steps have already been taken to implement Indira’s guarantees, starting with free travel for women on KSRTC buses from June 15, he said while reading the policy speech of the United Democratic Front government at the beginning of the first session of the 16th Kerala Legislative Assembly. He also announced the establishment of a department dedicated to caring for the elderly.
The five welfare schemes, under Indira Guarantees, include a stipend of $1000 for female students and a free insurance system for families.
The governor said the state’s public finances were under severe pressure and the government had decided to form an expert committee to prepare a ‘white paper’ on its financial situation, so that the public would be aware of Kerala’s liabilities, pending liabilities and financial liabilities.
“Today the country faces serious fiscal challenges. Accrued liabilities and fiscal constraints have created severe pressures on public finances. My government will face these realities honestly and responsibly.
“My government will strengthen its efforts to ensure correct financial allocations and fair and equitable treatment from the Union government,” he said in the letter.
He stressed that despite the financial challenges, social welfare measures for the poor and vulnerable would not be compromised.
He stressed that “social security pensions, public health care, education support, and social welfare programs will continue to be a top priority.”
Arlikar also referred to the government’s dream projects of transforming the state into an integrated port-led hub, by harnessing the potential of its vast coastline, 44 rivers, 34 lakes and four airports, as well as transforming it into an important civil aviation hub in South Asia by developing ‘aviation infrastructure pipeline’ initiatives. The governor said rising drug abuse, both drugs and alcohol, was a concern in the state and the government would adopt a three-pronged strategy of enforcement, awareness and rehabilitation against it where both the excise and interior ministries would work together.
He said the implementation initiatives would include ‘Operation Tovan’, a swift and aggressive offensive by the Kerala Police to root out the entire drug network in the state and set up a dedicated state office to combat narcotics.
He added: “My government will adopt a zero-tolerance approach towards the drug mafia, street vendors, suppliers and organized crime networks. Our goal is to reduce alcohol consumption in stages.”
On the cultural front, the government has decided to support the film industry in Kerala through a comprehensive film policy covering production incentives, co-production treaties with other countries, development of film tourism and promotion of Kerala as a filming destination, Arilkar explained in the policy speech.
He said that a media city and creative industries center will be developed to bring together film production, animation, visual effects, gaming, digital media and content creation industries into one professionally equipped campus.
“Digital art museums will be created and the international film festival will be expanded to more cities. A living museum of Kerala will be created to reflect traditional life, history, art and culture. Heritage villages will be protected and digital archiving of Kerala’s history and cultural forms will be done,” he said.
Other commitments of the government, read out in the policy speech, include modernizing the education sector, encouraging higher education institutions to become true centers of excellence, developing globally competitive higher education institutions in Kerala to curb academic migration and strengthening the cooperative vigilance wing to ensure that the operations of cooperative societies are corruption-free and transparent.
Arlikar also said that the quality of facilities in public health sector in Kerala has declined in recent times and hence, healthcare institutions at all levels will be modernized by improving infrastructure, equipment, availability of medicines and human resource support.
The Governor said the government is approaching the future with confidence and optimism as it envisions the creation of a ‘Puthuyuga Keralam’ that “combines economic growth with social justice, modern infrastructure with environmental responsibility, technological progress with human compassion and opportunities with equality”.
The government firmly believes that development should touch the lives of ordinary people, he said, adding that clean governance, fiscal discipline and effective management are essential to restore public confidence and accelerate development.
“Economic progress should create opportunities, while social welfare measures should provide security and dignity to vulnerable sections of society. Growth without justice creates inequality, while social welfare without growth becomes unsustainable. Therefore, my government must pursue a balanced and comprehensive development model,” the governor added.
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