Kerala CM sets Dec 31 deadline to clear 2.76 lakh pending files; senior citizens’ Bill on anvil
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan on Friday announced a time-bound drive to clear 2.76 lakh pending e-files by December 31, along with plans to introduce legislation providing legal safeguards for senior citizens during the Assembly session beginning on October 12.
The file-clearance mission, titled ‘Janasparsham’, will begin on October 15 and continue till December 31. It will cover both electronic and physical files pending across government departments, with priority to long-pending and urgent cases.
Satheesan said the government would also examine the reasons behind delays, including unnecessary references between departments and procedural hurdles, to prevent files from remaining unattended in future. A dashboard will be developed to enable the Chief Minister and officials to monitor the status of files.
The proposed senior citizens’ legislation will provide legal guarantees for their care and protection. Under the Bill, a separate department for senior citizens will be set up, while a survey will assess the needs and living conditions of elderly people across the state.
Satheesan said the responsibility for senior citizens’ welfare would not rest with the government alone. Local bodies, volunteers and community groups would also be involved in ensuring care and support for the elderly.
Describing the proposed law as a first-of-its-kind initiative, the Chief Minister said several states had expressed interest in it. The government hopes to pass the legislation during the Assembly session itself.
Briefing the media after the Cabinet meeting, Satheesan said 568 of the 588 projects announced under the government’s first 100-day programme had been completed. Work on the remaining projects was progressing, with around 90 per cent completion reported, he said.
On the High Court’s direction to register an FIR in the CMRL-Exalogic case involving former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and others, Satheesan said the government had acted after legal scrutiny. It had opted for a preliminary inquiry rather than rushing into the matter, and the law would take its course, he added.
On the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, Satheesan said the UDF had been the first to raise concerns in Kerala. He claimed that neither the CPI(M) nor the BJP had initially raised similar objections.
Responding to criticism from UDF Convenor Adoor Prakash, the Chief Minister said policy decisions were taken after consultation with party and alliance leaders. He said he was open to criticism and would correct himself if he was wrong, but declined to comment directly on Prakash’s remarks as the party high command had not discussed the issue with him.
Satheesan also criticised sections of the media for circulating what he called fake news, urging journalists to verify reports and protect their credibility.
(Inputs from IANS)