Like in the previous term, Malabar has secured a good representation in the second Left Democratic Front (LDF) government.
With new ministers and shuffled portfolios, more needs to be done for infrastructure development, Information Technology (IT) and Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES) and tourism sectors.
Excluding Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who handles the IT portfolio among other departments, the north Kerala region will have six ministers. A.K .Saseendran (Forest and Wildlife) and K. Krishnankutty (Electricity) were colleagues in the former Cabinet.
A fresh face, M.V. Govindan, who has been allotted Excise and Local Self-Government portfolios, is from Kannur district.
Kozhikode has three ministers — P.A. Mohammed Riyas (Public Works and Tourism) A.K. Saseendran and Ahamed Devarkovil (Port, Museum, Archaeology and Archives).
The lone Minister from Malappuram district is V. Abdul Rahman (Minority Welfare, Wakf, Non-Resident Keralites Affairs, and Sports). Mr. Krishnankutty represents Palakkad district.
The infrastructure development of Kozhikode, which remains as a hub for north Kerala, is one of the crucial factors to spur growth in the region. The focus will be on the two cyberparks, one in the government sector and the other managed by Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society (ULCCS) in Kozhikode.
More importantly, a healthy ecosystem needs to be maintained. This include the expansion plans of the Calicut International Airport and the pending widening of the 28-km stretch of the Kozhikode bypass.
The Public Works Department will also have to focus on the ₹658-crore two-lane tunnel road project linking Kozhikode and Wayanad. The ₹2,775-crore Light Metro proposed for Kozhikode city and the Mananchira-Vellimadukunnu road widening project should also get priority.
The State government needs to explore more possibilities for the development of the Malabar Cruise Tourism Project. The existing water-based thematic cruise projects offered minimal requirements. The focus should be on development of basic infrastructure facilities such as restaurants, food courts, open-air theatres, parking, handicraft kiosks and biotoilets.
The ambitious West Coast Canal project aimed at boosting backwater tourism has not taken off as expected in north Kerala.
Another is the expansion of shipping operations in ports. This needs to be looked into with renewed interest. Beypore, Ponnani and Azheekal ports have great potential for high-end cargo handling apart from harbour development.
