A big meeting of municipal corporations and panchayats was held in many cities of Kerala, in which 5 important decisions were taken to improve the cities. These decisions are focused on improving cleanliness, traffic and civic services. Civic officials of many cities of Kerala gathered at one place and held a meeting together.
Important issues related to cities were discussed in this meeting. Especially cleanliness, water, traffic and garbage management were discussed. All the cities also shared their experiences among themselves. The purpose of this meeting was that every city could learn something good from each other.
Consensus Reached on Five Promises
In the meeting, officials of all the cities together took 5 main decisions, which are considered to be a big step towards improving every city. The first decision was that strict monitoring will be done on cleanliness in every area and the number of cleaning workers will also be increased.
Secondly, new pipelines will be laid and old tanks will be cleaned so that people can get clean and adequate water on time. The third promise was that smart signals will be installed to manage traffic which will change red, yellow and green lights according to the traffic.
The fourth decision was that street lights will be installed on every street, every locality and road so that people feel safe at night. The fifth and most important decision was that the garbage collected in the city will be sent directly to the recycling plant and separate dustbins will be installed for it. Apart from this, the officials decided that the garbage vehicle will come regularly every day and there will be no delay in it.
To implement these promises, every city will have its own team which will monitor the work. Every promise will be fulfilled under a timeline so that the public can see the effect soon.
People's expectations have increased regarding these decisions and they want that this time there should not be only announcements but changes should also be seen on the ground. Officials believe that if these five promises are implemented properly, then the face of the cities can change.
Importance Given to People’s Opinion
It was especially raised in the meeting that plans should not be made only on paper, but should be decided by the opinion of the public. That is why it was decided that every month small meetings will be held at the ward level in the cities.
In which common people will be able to give their suggestions. These suggestions will be recorded and will be kept in mind while making plans. The officials themselves will go to the wards and meet the people and know their problems.
Apart from this, an online suggestion box will also be created for those who are unable to come to the meeting so that everyone can be heard. The suggestions which get the most support will be given priority. Many times the officials stay away from the ground reality, but this initiative will create a direct contact.
This will make the public feel that their suggestions also matter. A permanent citizen advisory committee will be formed for every ward, in which women,Participation of the elderly and the youth will be ensured. This committee will report every month which suggestions of the public were implemented and which were not taken into consideration. This will increase both transparency and accountability.
Digital system will help In today's time, technology is the biggest support and that is why it was decided to make all the essential services of the cities digital. It was said in the meeting that now services like water bill, property tax, birth certificate, death certificate and marriage registration will be provided through mobile app and website.
For this, a special mobile app is being made, which will work the same in all cities. With the help of this app, people will also be able to see the status of their files and register complaints. Officials say that this will reduce the crowd in government offices and people's time will be saved.
Apart from this, it was also decided that there will be a help desk in every office which will provide help related to digital services. Elderly and illiterate people will get special help to run the app.
The mobile app will have options in 3 languages: Malayalam, Hindi and English, so that everyone can understand easily. The digital system will also reduce corruption as all transactions can be tracked. This will benefit both the government and the public.
Focus On Schools and Hospitals
It was decided in the meeting that it is very important to improve the condition of government schools and hospitals, because these are the two areas that affect the lives of the poor and the common man the most. In old schools where the roofs leak, repairs will be done and toilets will be cleaned and made new. Clean drinking water will be arranged for children in every school.
Along with this, digital facilities like computers and projectors will also be added in schools so that studies can be better. To improve the condition of hospitals, the number of doctors and nurses will be increased there.
A basic health center will be opened in every locality, which will have the facility of treatment like fever, cough and injury. Availability of medicines will be ensured and every patient will get timely treatment. Special care units will be created especially for pregnant women and the elderly. These facilities will provide great relief to the common people.
Progress Will Be Checked Every Month
It was decided in the meeting that just making plans is not enough, but monitoring their implementation is also necessary. That is why it was decided that a report will be prepared every month.
Which will tell which works are completed and which are incomplete. A deadline will be set for every project and every officer will be assigned its responsibility. If any scheme is not completed on time, then the reason will be asked and orders for improvement will be given.
This report will be available on the online website for all citizens so that anyone can see what is happening. This report will also include pictures of the work and details of expenditure.
This will maintain transparency and strengthen the trust of the public. Officers who do good work will also be honored,So that others are also inspired. The report will be shown in newspapers and local channels every month.
Preparation for the Future
It was said in the meeting that these decisions are not just for today's problems, but have been made keeping in mind the future. Floods, droughts and heat are increasing due to climate change, so it is necessary to strengthen the cities.
The population is also increasing rapidly, due to which problems like traffic, water and electricity will increase. It is necessary to prepare from today to deal with all these challenges. That is why long-term thinking has been added to every plan.
A 10-year plan is being made for every city, in which small goals will be set every year. Completing these goals on time will be a priority. The government wants that in the next 5 years, the cities of Kerala should be counted among the cleanest, safest and smartest cities of the country. Now it is the responsibility of both the public and the administration to together make these promises a reality.
