ZERO LANDLESS PROJECTS

ZERO LANDLESS PROJECTS

The Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said that the Project Zero Landless initiated by the Revenue Department was a clear pointer to his government’s commitment to the landless to provide them with shelter in their own land.The government does not have enough land with it to provide for the demands of all the landless people in the State. But it would come with a comprehensive project to make all the landless proud owners of a piece of land, Mr. Chandy said.Inaugurating the State-level celebration of Revenue Day here on Sunday, Mr. Chandy said the e-district programme would cover all the districts in the State by March 31. The project is part of the government’s endeavour to bring its services to the people at the earliest, he said.Already six districts have been declared Total e-district.The rest would be brought under the net before March end, he said.

This would also mean that the State could complete the project within a short span of 14 months, the Chief Minister said.Mr. Chandy stressed on the need to move forward in the IT sector. Kerala, one of the pioneers in the IT sector, had come to lag behind its neighbours and it was imperative to take back the lead position, he said.The Chief Minister presented the Best District Collector award for Ratan Kelkar of Kannur and a Special Award for Mini Antony of Kottayam on the occasion. The awards for best Survey deputy directors and also the deputy collectors were also given on the occasion.The Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash in his address said the government would provide land for One Lakh landless persons by August 15.He said the Smart Village programme would be implemented in a phased manner. The challenge before the government was not only making the revenue department e-friendly, but people-friendly, he said.The decision to honour 71 meritorious officers of the Revenue department and 41 from Survey Department, was part of this endeavour. The scheme would be continued in the coming years also, he said.Finance Minister K. M. Mani, Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, government chief whip P. C. George, Jose K. Mani, MP, Joy Abraham, Anto Antony, all MPs, district panchayat president Radha V. Nair, Mons Joseph, MLA, senior government officials and others participated.

Prof. John Kurakar