Thiruvananthapuram Sep 23 (IANS) V.D. Satheesan government on Wednesday decided to wind up the decade-old Loka Kerala Sabha and instead create a new platform to lure and engage the diaspora community abroad, into the state’s development and investment plans.
Briefing the media after the weekly Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan said that the government would not continue with the Loka Kerala Sabha in its existing form.
An alternative mechanism would be worked out to provide a more effective platform for non-resident Keralites.
Satheesan said that the Left governments organised the Loka Kerala Sabha for nearly a decade but “nothing happened” through the events held during that period.
The new government, he said, wanted to move beyond a platform for discussion and use the vast diaspora network to transform Kerala from a remittance-dependent economy into an investment-driven one.
A Cabinet sub-committee headed by the Chief Minister has already been constituted to work out the new mechanism.
The government also plans to mark Kerala’s entry into its 70th anniversary year with a major cultural and tourism campaign under the banner Festival Kerala.
The programme will initially be organised across the country, showcasing Kerala’s cultural heritage, tourism potential and other strengths.
Alongside the cultural programmes, the government plans to hold investors’ meets to attract investment to the state.
Satheesan said that the government would subsequently examine whether Festival Kerala could be taken outside the country as well.
The Cabinet also decided to rename the Elderly Welfare Department as the Department of Senior Citizens, signalling a change in the government’s approach towards the ageing population.
The government has also decided to launch a major road-safety campaign against the increasing number of road accidents in the state.
The Transport Department will lead the campaign, with the focus on public awareness as well as stricter tracking and enforcement of traffic violations.
The Cabinet decided to provide Rs 8 lakh each to the families of nine people who died in the landslip incidents last week in a few districts as part of the government’s relief measures.
On the proposed revision of the Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) notification, Satheesan said one round of discussions had already been completed and another round would be held before the state submits its final report to the Centre.
He said all concerns and fears raised by people in the affected areas would be examined during the consultations before the government finalises its position.
The Chief Minister said the government would seek to ensure that the interests of people living in ecologically sensitive areas were protected while arriving at a final position on the ESA proposal.
–IANS
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