By Abdul Basith MA, TwoCircles.net,
Kozhikode: Having registered 100% utilisation of Multi-sectoral Development Program [MsDP] fund, Wayanad, the lone Minority Concentration District [MCD] in Kerala, is all set to take a new leap, as the new State Minority Welfare Department [MWD] has demanded the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs to grant the district with MsDP fund of at least 100 crore rupees under the 12th five year plan.
The 12th plan is still under the drafting process and considering the history of effective fund utilisation by MWD under its new Director Dr P Nazeer — when compared to a meagre 50-60 percent average MsDP fund utilisation all throughout the country — the district is hopeful of winning the whole amount demanded, for further development projects in the district.
Sultan Bathery Govt Taluk Hospital, to which a 10 crore unspent MsDP fund was allocated this year for further construction works.
Recently, taking into account the good work carried out by the MWD and District Administration in Wayanad, the Ministry of Minority Affairs has granted a sum of 10 crore rupees for building three more floors to the Sultan Bathery Govt Hospital, thus ensuring basic amenity development of a hospital which has been on the neglected side since long.
Dr P Nazeer says, “A general consciousness does exist since long time like, the MWD is meant to help out only the minorities, but every community in the region irrespective of their religion and caste gets benefitted by these types of projects, which otherwise would have gone unutilised just like in other states of the country”.
The area largely inhabited by the most marginalised sections of the society including Muslims, Christians and Tribal communities was dependant on private hospitals within the area or otherwise they had to travel all the way down the Thamarassery Ghats [around 120 kms] to reach the Kozhikode Medical College, and most emergency cases found it hard to reach in time. So upgrade of the govt hospitals and local health centres in the district has been a long sought out demand from the people; the success from the part of MWD and DA by winning the MsDP funds for these projects has indeed brought in some optimism in the people’s minds.
The other important proposal put forward by the MWD before the Ministry of Minority Affairs is inclusion of 50 minority concentration blocks in various districts under the 12th Plan. The backward minority concentration regions are scattered all throughout Kerala and so in order to ensure efficiency in fund utilisation, the MWD has proposed to include 50 minority concentrated blocks from districts including Malappuram, Kannur, Kottayam, Palakkad, Kasaragod, Ernakulam, and Kollam under the 12th plan. It appears like the Ministry of Minority affairs has already made its mind to rethink regarding the MCD method of assessing backward regions, because it doesn’t fit to meet the needs of specific states especially in South India.
Related story:
http://twocircles.net/2012may23/kerala%E2%80%99s_wayanad_district_leads_utilization_msdp_fund.html