Kerala looks to capital-ise on smart move

new delhi — One of Kerala’s abiding problem has been its inability to industrialise despite the fact that the remittance from abroad and institutional support would have funded it.

The main reason why it has not happened is the very active trade union movement which had started along with the reformist communist campaigns. These movements spread the awareness of people’s rights, and the labour sector in particular was conscious of the possibility of exploitation, and so fought for its demands for minimum wages and other conditions usually ignored in other states. In short, Kerala missed the industrial phase, and focussed on the relatively labour-free tourism, which is flourishing.

Last week, the capital of the state, Trivandrum, topped the 30 new cities on the list of Centre’s smart cities mission. In the last few years, Kerala, having missed the factory and manufacturing phase, has been concentrating on the IT sector, where unionisation is at a minimum, the pay good, and exposure international.

But it was a surprise even for Keralites when the Union Urban Development Minister, M Venkaiah Naidu, announced the new list, adding 30 more to the existing 50 cities chosen by the government to be developed as “smart”. Ten more cities will be added to the list.

These cities will share among themselves a total outlay of Rs57,393 crores. A smart city is sought to be on par with any international city in its facilities and living standards. These include new and first rate public utilities, smart bus stops, more parks, and revival of the cultural heritage of the city.

A substantial amount would be allocated to area based development, which in Trivandrum would cover the main stretches of the city. The technical terms used for the development are urban basic services, land-use efficiency, cultural identity and heritage, eco friendliness, and socio-economic inclusiveness.