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The Hindu
02-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Saseendran expresses concern over tribal deaths, calls for steps to adopt indigenous knowledge
Expressing concern over the disturbing trend of tribal fatalities in wildlife attacks, Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran has assured steps to study the factors leading to the alarming pattern. He was inaugurating a State-level workshop on Gothrabheri, an initiative aimed at integrating indigenous knowledge into wildlife conflict mitigation strategies, here on Wednesday. Mr. Saseendran said while various human-wildlife conflict mitigation projects initiated by the Forest department had begun to show results, the loss of tribal lives remained a pressing issue. He pointed out that 67 people lost their lives in wildlife-related incidents during 2024-25. Of these, 34 were due to snakebites and 19 due to elephant attacks. Alarmingly, 13 of those killed by elephants belonged to tribal communities. Chief Wildlife Warden Pramod G. Krishnan pointed out that the trend was unusual since tribespeople were traditionally known to coexist harmoniously with wildlife. He emphasised the need to examine whether changes in animal or human behaviour or other external factors were contributing to this shift. The Gothrabheri programme has been conceptualised to collect, document, and incorporate tribal ecological knowledge into official conservation and conflict mitigation policies. As part of the initiative, 18 regional seminars were held across Kerala, engaging as many as 1,016 tribal representatives from all 360 unnathis (tribal hamlets) in the State. Insights gathered from these interactions are being consolidated and studied for implementation. The initiative is a collaborative effort involving the Scheduled Tribes Development department, the Kerala Forest Research Institute, and other agencies, including the State Planning Board and the Kerala Startup Mission, to convert tribal insights into actionable government programmes. Highlighting Kerala's unique approach, Mr. Saseendran added that the government was investing in modern technologies and fostering inter-departmental coordination to enable transformative solutions in this area. Head of Forest Force in-charge and Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (APCCF) P. Pugazhendi presided over the inaugural session. APCCFs L. Chandrasekhar, J. Justin Mohan, Scheduled Tribes Development department Director Renu Raj, State Planning Board member Jiju P. Alex, Kerala Forest Research Institute Director Kannan C.S. Warrier, Kerala State Biodiversity Board Chairman N. Anil Kumar, Raman Rajamannan, tribal king of the Mannan tribal community of Kovilmala in Idukki, and Periyar Tiger Reserve Field Director P.P. Pramod participated.
The Hindu
18-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Panel report on disaster risk financing yet to be enforced in Kerala
Even as Kerala is reeling under the monsoon fury, the government is yet to implement the proposals by a committee on disaster risk financing led by K. Ravi Raman, member, State Planning Board, which were submitted four years ago. The panel, set up against the backdrop of the 2018 floods and other natural calamities, had suggested that a new risk transfer mechanismfor financing disasters could be implemented and a climate risk insurance modelmay be adopted. It had also proposed a State disaster risk fund pool. For insurance coverage, the panel said, the households in the State may be classified into trust/assurance mode, hybrid mode, and full-cost mode. In trust/ assurance mode, the government will have to pay the full premium rate of ₹31 for an insured sum of ₹1 lakh as a group insurance scheme. The entire section of yellow and pink ration cardholders (38.32 lakh households) can be made part of it. Of the 24.73 lakh blue ration cardholders, who belong to the non-priority subsidy category, 22.26 lakh may be included in the hybrid mode as the rest are assumed to have been covered by some kind of insurance. There can be two options. As the first option, these people may have to pay 50% of the premium (₹15) as subsidy through direct insurance and the rest will have to be paid by the government as indirect insurance. In the second option, the government may have to identify households whose residents are employed in the unorganised sector and are living in the most environmentally vulnerable areas. The government can pay the full premium rate for the identified section. The others can pay 50% of the premium as subsidy through direct insurance and the rest of the amount will have to be paid by government as indirect insurance. Of the 26.07 lakh white ration cardholders in the non-priority category, 23.9 lakh can be included in the full cost mode, and asked to pay the full premium as the others are expected to have been covered under some kind of insurance either individually or through their employers. The government may also develop a State Disaster Risk Fund Poolas a new disaster risk financial source and the climate risk insurance can be implemented using its funds. The amount collected for the purpose can be deposited in a disaster risk pool account. An estimated ₹566 crorewould be the initial resource base for the proposed pool, which could be obtained from taxation and other methods. The nodal authorityto supervise and regulate matters related may be the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority. It is also possible to consider the Kerala State Insurance Department as a nodal agency. The department should work in collaboration with the KSDMA, district disaster management authorities and local self-government institutions, the panel had said.
The Hindu
08-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Kerala State Finance Commission seeks suggestions to improve governance, finances of local bodies
The 7th State Finance Commission is seeking the public's views on a range of topics related to the governance and finances of local bodies in Kerala, including the potential of capital market borrowings in funding their development projects, expanding their revenue base and efficient disaster mitigation at the local level. The 7th commission, constituted last year with former State Planning Board member K.N. Harilal as its chairman, is tasked with studying the fiscal position of rural and urban local bodies in Kerala and recommending measures to strengthen their finances. Questionnaire In a detailed questionnaire, the commission has sought suggestions from the public on possible new sources of revenue for panchayats, municipalities and Corporations. The public's opinion has also been sought on raising capital/loans from the market for funding local-level development projects. Enhancing the resource raising capacity of local governments through tax and non-tax revenues has an important place in the terms of reference (ToR) of the 7th commission. The panel, among other things, is also required to propose 'frameworks for local governments to raise resources from financial institutions and markets and by employing other means such as land pooling and public private participation.' Budget proposal The 2025-26 State Budget too contained a proposal to enable local bodies to raise ₹1,000 crore through 'municipal bonds, green bonds and pooled municipal bonds.' This money would be used to construct IT parks, commercial centres, roads, and implement waste management and water supply schemes. In May this year, the Greater Chennai Corporation had made news when it listed municipal bonds in the National Stock Exchange to raise funds for projects. Among other things, the commission has also sought 'constructive suggestions' from the public regarding the planning and implementation of disaster-mitigation measures. The commission's ToR requires it to recommend steps that 'enable local governments to contribute effectively to disaster management.' Improving administration The commission is taking suggestions regarding measures for improving administration in local bodies, cutting down their expenses, efficient deployment of resources and improving public services. Feedback is also being taken on the current deployment of the general purpose fund and the maintenance funds, the development fund, the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes subplans, projects that can be undertaken in collaboration with other local bodies and government departments, and the care of the elderly and bedridden patients. The State Finance Commissions are constituted by the State government under clause 1 of Article 243 (I) and (Y) of the Indian Constitution alongside relevant sections of the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act and the Kerala Municipalities Act to assess the financial position of rural and urban local bodies and make recommendations to the Governor. The questionnaire can be accessed on the commission's website and the Finance department's website
The Hindu
17-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Superstitions becoming widespread in society, says Pinarayi
Superstitions stamped out years ago during the reformation movement are once again becoming widespread in society, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said here on Saturday. The Chief Minister was addressing professionals from the science and technology sector at Professional Connect 2025, a programme organised as part of the fourth anniversary of the government. He underscored the need to nurture scientific temperament and propagate scientific and technological knowhow for sustainable growth and development founded on social justice. 'We live in times when superstitions that were wiped out under the leadership of social reformers are returning and becoming widespread,' he said, adding that many national grants that supported research and higher education have now been either removed or reduced. Digital science parks Mr. Vijayan said the Kerala government has instituted the Kairali Research Prize and the Chief Minister's Postdoctoral Fellowship for promoting research in addition to starting centres of excellence in the higher education sector and translational labs in universities. Kerala is on the path of growth with digital science parks and AI hubs. The State is spending ₹600 crore on three digital science parks, he said. Science and technology are not separate from the lives of humans, Mr. Vijayan said, reiterating his government's plans for creating a knowledge-based society. K.P. Sudheer, Executive Vice President, Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) and State Planning Board vice chairman V.K. Ramachandran and KSCSTE member secretary A. Sabu also spoke.
