The second major step in the State Government's poverty alleviation programme is set to begin this month with the preparation of microplans for each of the 64,006 families identified as extremely poor in a Statewide survey. It will also be using the process to evolve a structured institutionalised mechanism to make the care for the poor a responsibility of the society at the local level.
This vision for a 'care economy' is evident in the guidelines for the preparation of microplans, issued on Friday, as per which local bodies have been asked to co-ordinate with corporate institutions, NRI organisations, trade organisations, co-operative banks, voluntary organisations and service-minded people in generating funds for the poverty alleviation programme, in addition to that allocated in the plan. A separate account in the name of the nodal officer will be opened for collecting such funds.
The preparation of microplans for each of the families is to be completed before August 31. Immediate care, short-term and long-term plans is to be prepared for the families. The immediate-term plans include provision of food especially for those who don't have a permanent residence and help through angwanwadis or neighbourhood groups for those who are too weak to consume food on their own. This is significant because as many as 43,850 (constituting 68.51% of the total) of the families identified as extremely poor are single-member families.
Also part of the immediate plans is a plan to equip the families lacking the necessary documents with those, including ration card, voters' card, Aadhar card, MGNREGS card, certificates for the differently-abled, social security pensions, bank account and identity cards for transgender persons. Palliative care, medicines and bystanders will be arranged for those who need it.
Under the short-term plans, mechanisms will be arranged to provide nutritious food based on specific needs, to rehabilitate people living in streets in care homes, for provision of food kits, for connecting the needy to the various government health schemes, for provision of equipment to ensure mobility, for shifting of mentally challenged persons to various facilities, for maintenance of run-down houses and for provision of water and power connections.
The long-term plans include plans for houses under LIFE project for the homeless, rehabilitation of those with mental health issues and provision of livelihood, arrangement of facilities for continued education based on qualifications, skill training based on aptitude, special skill training for the differently-abled to generate income from their homes and rehabilitation of those staying in dangerous conditions. In the later stages, the government's various missions and schemes under various departments will be merged with the poverty alleviation programme, enabling funds from these also to be used for the purpose. The various State and Union government schemes now being executed through local bodies will also be used based on the needs of the beneficiaries.
Co-ordination and monitoring committees have been formed from the State to the ward level for the purpose. The experts in each field will be the implementing officers on the ground. The situation of the families will be assessed each year, based on which the micro plans will be revised. A social audit committee at the local body level will assess the progress every two years. The Kudumbashree units in each area will support the respective local bodies in the implementation of the microplans. The preparation of the microplans will begin soon. The Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA) will anchor the training programmes for preparation of the microplans.
