APRIL
27, 1957
Mr. Speaker and
Members of the Assembly
It gives me very great
pleasure to welcome you, Members of the First Legislative
Assembly of Kerala, to the first Session which you are
now holding. The occasion enhances my pleasure as it is
the first time when I am having the privilege of meeting
you since I was called to this office in last November.
The people of Kerala
have, for long, desired the formation of their own State.
Their desire was fulfilled on November I last, when the
major part of the former Travancore-Cochin State and parts
of Madras State were unified into the new Kerala State.
Unfortunately, however, the formation of the new State
took place at a time when the former State of Travancore-
Cochin was under President’s rule. I join you and
the people of Kerala in giving expression to the sense
of joy that chapter has now been closed and that you have
been able to have the normal constitutional rule restored.
1. The formation of
the new State however has created certain problems to
which your attention and the attention of the Government
will have to be directed. There is for example, the vexed
problem of linguistic minorities in the border areas.
While the unification of the areas with the majority of
people speaking Malayalam into one State has made it possible
for the gradual adoption of Malayalam as the language
of administration and education, thus helping the growth
and development of the literature and culture of the Malayalam
speaking people, it will create difficulties for the Kannada
and Tamil speaking populations in the border areas of
Kerala; similar problems will naturally face the Malayalam
speaking minorities in the border areas of the Madras
and Mysore State. This and other similar problems facing
the Governments of Kerla, Mysore and Madras will, I am
sure, be taken up for consideration and decision by Government;I
hope, too, that the Government of Kerala will receive
the necessary co-operation of the Governments of Mysore
and Madras States in this respect.
2. Another proplem which the Government is facing today
is that of integration of services. This problem had once
arisen in the former Travancore- Cochin State when the
services of the former states of Travancore and Cochin
had to be integrated; some problems arising out of it
still remain unsolved. But for more serious is the new
problem which has arisen with the formation of the Kerala
State; pay scales and the terms of service of personnel
belonging to the former Travancore-Cochin State and of
those who have now been allotted from Madras to the new
State Kerala have to be integrated. The Government is
seriously considering the various aspects of this problem
and I hope they will come to final decisions in the near
future. The Government will naturally hold consultations
with the organisations of the Government Officers concerned
before taking final decisions.
3. Yet another problem facing you as Legislators following
the formation of the new State of Kerala is the integration
of laws obtaining in the former State of Travancore-Cochin
and that part of Madras which has now become part of the
Kerala State. While the codification of these laws is,
in some cases, connected with the reform of the law itself,
there are some laws which require only integration and
codification. An example of the former is the enactment
of a common law relating to land for the whole State of
Kerala; this can be evolved not only by unifying the different
laws in force in the three major parts of the State, but
also by making important changes in them.
My Government is determined
to eliminate the proverbail Law’s Delays and to
establish a satisfactory and uniform system of laws and
legal administration, removing the present discrepancies
and anomalies.
Government is also
anxious to have a reorientation of Jail Administration
and give practical shape to it so as to transform our
prisons and prisoners in tune with modern trends.
4. The next problem
engaging the attention of the Government is that of administrative
reform. Certain measures in this direction were taken
during the President’s rule in Travancore-Cochin,as
well as during the President’s rule in the newly
formed Kerala State. But these measures are inadequate
and the Government is taking steps to follow them up with
further and more effective measures.
The main direction
of administrative reform introduced during President’s
rule in Travancore – Cochin was towards decentralisation
of power and responsibility from the Secretariat to the
heads of departments and their district representatives,
as well as to collectors and the Revenue Divisional Officers
to the gulf between the Government officers at various
levels and the people, and to such other evils of the
system that has been handed over to us by the British
rulers as well as by the rule of the Maharajas and Dewans
obtaining in the former Indian States. My Government considers
the reform of the this administrative set up as a task
of high priority; it therefore proposes to set up a committee
composed, on the one hand, of officers with administrative
experience, and , on the other of prominent non-officials
capable of contributing to a proper consideration of the
problem. The Government hopes to profit by the conclusions
arrived at by the various experts in the matter of administrative
reform, such as the Appleby Report, as well as the suggestions
made by prominent personalities in the public life of
the country.
5. Connected with the
problem of administrative reform is the expansion of the
scope of activities undertaken by the Municipalities,
Panchayat Boards and other institutions of Local self
Government. While this would require detailed study before
concrete legislation in this direction is undertaken it
will be the general policy of the Government to develop
Municipalities, Panchayats and other institutions of Local
self Government into autonomous bodies with greater powers
and ampler financial resources than they enjoy today.
The necessity for such
a strengthening of the institutions of Local Self Government
is nowhere felt more than in the execution of plans and
projects evolved for the purposes of the Community Projects
and National Extension Services. The central idea of the
plans and projects is to establish a proper co-relation
between the initiative of the executive and the co-operation
of the people; co-ordination is also needed between the
various development departments, both among themselves
as well as with the officers concerned with the Community
Projects and N.E.S Blocks. This object is at present sought
to be achieved by entrusting the Collectors with the task
of co-ordination at the District level and by appointing
the Chief Secretary as the Development commissioner. Experience,
however has proved that this is inadequate. It is necessary
to supplement this with measures entrusting a good deal
of the work of development to the Panchayats and the Municipalities
in order to build up ideal initiative and strengthen people’s
co-operation.
The execution of plans
and projects evolved for the purposes of Community Projects
and National Extension Services requires careful study
also from another angle. The experience so for gained
from the working of these plans and projects shows that
it is necessary for our State to take full account of
the concrete conditions in this state in giving priorities
to the various items of development. For example, in some
States, which are relatively backward in the matter of
education and communications the opening of schools and
roads may have to be given high priority; in our State,
however, other items like the provision of pure drinking
water in the coastal areas may have to be given higher
priority. Within our State itself, priorities may have
to be altered as between the coastal regions, the plains,
and the high ranges; there may have to be variations even
as between the relatively backward areas and the rest
of the State.
Taking the State as
a whole, development will have to be directed towards
certain definite objectives such as:
(a) The starting of
a few heavy and large-scale industrial units in the State.
The Government will try to see that the proposed second
Ship Building Yard, under the consideration of the Centre,
is set up in this State. It will also try to see that
certain industrial units whose establishment in this State
has been under consideration for some time, are established
(e.g.’ a paper mill, a cycle factory, a rubber tyre
factory, etc.)
(b) Provision of all
possible types of help to the Medium and Small industries.
The question of providing easy credit to the Medium and
Small Industries is engaging the attention of the Government,
necessary modifications in the mode of functioning of
the State Industrial Finance Corporation are being considered.
(c) Devising ways and
means of forming and strengthening Industrial Co-operatives
for Cottage Industries.
(d) Development of
Irrigation and Power.
7 Blessed though Kerala
is with heavy rainfall, the tragic course of these torrents,
eroding the soil and wasting themselves into the sea,
should be arrested and turned into a series of beneficent
projects, producing abundant electricity and dependable
sources or irrigational and drinking water supply. Even
our beautiful backwaters should be bunded at appropriate
places to subserve the interests of agriculture and deepened
and lengthened in places to meet the needs of navigation.
The Government is preparing a Master Plan fully to exploit
our aforesaid natural resources . While a good deal has
been done on the electricity front much more remains to
be done. An impressive number of Hydel stations begining
with Palliivasal have already been commissioned wholly
or in part. Neriamangalam, Panniar, Sholayar and the splendid
Pampa scheme, will be taken up for execution during the
current Plan period; some have actually been begun. The
Idikki scheme is under investigaion and serious endeavours
will soon be made to locate and investigate the hydel
or purely irrigational possibilities in the Malabar area.Works
on the distribution and transmission side are under way;
the present surplus power in the travancore-Cochin area
is sought to be transmitted tothe Malabar area where the
supply position, now dependent on the pykara system of
Madras, is none too good.A proposal immediately to construct
the transmission line, linking up the State Power system
with the distribution system in the Malabar area will
be taken up for execution. Likewise, extensions to other
parts of the State are also being put through. The Barapole
Project situated in the Mysore State holds out irrigational
and power prospects for the deficit. North Malabar area
and so, this scheme will, in due course, be taken up with
the Mysore Government. The Government will also actively
pursue the question of making available, as a temporary
but immediate measure, additional power to the Malabar
area from the Pykara system by giving an equal quantum
of power to Madras State, at Shencottah.
In compliance with
the Electricity Supply Act (General Act) an Electricity
Board has been constituted on 1.4.1957 and the assets
and liabilities of the former Electricity Department of
Government have been transferred to it. In a State like
Kerala, where all the generation and most of the distribution
is with Government, the utility of closing down the Electricity
Department and making over its functions to a semi autonomous
body, was, for long, a matter of controversy, but as almost
all State Governments have fallen in line with this proposal
this State has also followed suit. However, the Government
will exert the utmost to maximize the production of electricity
in the State and to transmit current even to our remote
villages. Government is also actively considering nationalization
of existing electrical undertakings run by private agencies.
Under “Major
Irrigation” my Government proposes to speed up the
progress and completion of the many projects now under
varying stages of execution. The work on Meenkara has
been started and on Cheerakuzhi, it will be started shortly.
A further dam on Chulliar is also under the active examination
of the Government. Kanjirapuzha and Palakuzhi are both
promising projects, which my Government would strive to
execute during the Second Five Year Plan period. Quite
a large number of medium and minor Irrigation works are
to be taken up by Government with a new impulse; Flood
control works are also proposed to be undertaken.
On the navigation side,
the backwaters and canals along the Kerala coast may well
play a vital role in brightening the economic life of
the people. The Government intends to investigate the
creation of a continuous navigable canal from one end
to the other of Kerala and of course, will thereafter
take up execution thereof. Sea erosion will be combated
in an energetic way and protective works in parts have
been already undertaken.
9. These and other problems connected with the economic
development of the State raise the question of the provisions
so far made in the Second Five Year Plan for this State.
These are, in the opinion of the Government, inadequate.
It is considered that,
even on the basis of the proportion of our population
to the total population of the country, kerala is entitled
to get almost double the allocation at present made to
it. Actually, however the problem is far more serious.
For, the needs of the development in a State depend partly
on the density of population in that State; the larger
the number of people per square mile, the greater the
need for the industrialization and such measures of intensive
cultivation as can be introduced only through a high development
of industries, electricity and irrigation. From this point
of view, the Government feels that our State is entitled
to more than the proportion of its population to the total
population of the country, while we have actually got
even less than what is proportionate to the population.
The centre is getting
a good deal of income from this state by way of income-tax
and customs on the cash crops produced in this state.
While a part of such incomes collected by the centre from
such a major cash crop of the country as jute is distributed
among the jute producing states no such practice obtains
with regard to the cash crops produced in this state.
For all these reasons,
my government considers it just and proper that the centre’s
allocation to this state for development is revised. The
government will therefore do its best to secure such a
revision. The visit of the finance commission to the state
is scheduled for the third week of June. The government
will put up a strong case before the commission for increased
allocations to this state from the centre government intends
to consult important sectors of public opinion in this
connection and hope to receive their co-operation and
help.
10. The Government
is also over the food situation which at the present moment
is causing a certain amount of anxiety. While the basic
reason for the unsatisfactory food situation remains certain
recent developments have created, for the immediate preent
certain additional difficulties. These are; Firstly the
boiled rice to which the people of our State are accustomed
is not available the stocks that we are receiving are
also mo entirely raw rice. Secondly, even with regard
to raw rice the price situation is not at all good. The
tendency in the areas from where we are getting our supplies
is for the prices to rise. Nevertheless the government
hopes top be able to tide over the difficulties of the
coming lean months with the help of the supplies promissed
by the central government
11. Connected with
the problem of food comes the development of agriculture
which in its turn is connected with the problem of land
reforms. As the planning commission and the land reform
panel appointed by it have made it clear, the development
of agriculture and the raising of the levels of agricultural
production are in separately connected with the creation
of such a system of ownership management and utilization
of land as will give the maximum amount of incentive to
the actual cultivator The question of land reforms therefore
is one of high priority in the programnme to be fulfilled
by the government. Pending introduction of such reforms
government considered it necessary that the existing rights
of parties shall not be prejudiced and therefore an ordinance
was promulgated. During this session a bill will be introduced
for the purpose of replacing the ordinance
From the pronouncements
made by the Chief Minister and the other Ministers, you
must come to know that the government was proposing to
move a resolution in this session of the assembly to appoint
a committee to go into the question of land reform and
propose necessary charges in the existing system. Subsequently
however, the government revised this proposal; and have
now decided that draft bills will straightway be prepared
by the government itself In doing this the government
will study all the material so for collected by the land
reform panel of the planning commission as well as by
the select committee which studied the bills introduced
in the former travancore cochin legislative assembly The
new bills drafted on the basis of such a study of the
material will of course be placed both before the assembly
as well aw before the public the select committee which
will examine the bills will naturally elicit the opinions
of the various sections of the people concerned and make
whatever modifications are necessary in the draft. This
it is hoped would make the process of legislation for
a more expeditions than was possible under the original
proposal.
12. The economic development
of our state depends to a large extent on the development
and rational use of our vast forest wealth. Our forests
are great national asset not only because of the very
valuable timber and other forest produce but also because
their existence and proper utilization is bound up with
soil conservation and other requirements of agricultural
development. The government therefore is considering a
plan for developing the forests as a great national asset
exploiting it for better revenue yielding purposes and
for selling the landless poor on the non revertible areas;
this latter (settling the landless poor) will be done
without prejudice to the necessity for the preservation
of the forests.
13. Government is fully
aware that the very existence of the people depends upon
industrialisation. The general backwardness of the area,
the density of population the nature problem of unemployment
the pressure on land and the backward agricultural economy
of the state point to the imperative need for industrialisation
on a more intensive and scientific basis.
As far as the state
owned industries are concerned. Government is anxious
to run them on sound economic lines and make them profitable
concerns eliminating wastage at all stages of production
preservation and disposal etc. Government is also desirous
of making them model industrial concern affording chances
to the workers to participate in the management of the
institutions by the formation of management councils representing
the management as well as the workers. Industrial progress
and peace and the aims of the government in the formulation
of industrial policies which government hopes to achieve
by promoting cordial relationship between the management
and the workers, assuring them a fair deal granting their
reasonable demands and settling all disputes between the
management and labour by mutual negotiations. In the private
sector government desires to assure the employers that
they will get all reasonable encouragement from the government
To this end, the Government proposes to
(a) Examine the wage
rates in government owned industrial units industry by
industry with a view to give the maximum possible rise
in the emoluments of workers and employees
(b) Examine the problems
of management and productivity with a view to eliminate
waste end corruption in management increase productivity
and otherwise making the enterprises more efficient and
profit yielding This will be done in consultation with
all concerned including the trade unions.
(c) Persuade private
capitalists to follow a similar policy in their enterprises
of increasing the emoluments of the workers and employees
and of associating them in the process of management and
production and to this end try to have councils of management
set up in industrial units with the participation of representatives
of trade unions.
(d) Extend the provision
of Minimum wages to those sectors of the industry to which
they are not now applicable as also to agricultural labour
The promotion of small
scale and cottage industries on an intensive basis is
also under the active consideration of the government
The development of handloom industry khadi spinning and
weaving and other small scale and cottage industries will
receive particular attention of the government For the
promotion of handloom industry and for ameliorating the
condition of as many weavers as possible the organization
of more industrial co-operatives the establishment of
dyeing calendering and other finishing plants and spinning
mills are also engaging the immediate attention of Government
The policy of the government
is to nationalize transport and communication and the
government will works out a phased programme towards implementing
this policy In fact the necessary survey is almost complete.
14. In the field of
education there are some very important things to be taken
up immediately. The foremost among them is the demand
to codify the departmental practices of the erstwhile
states of travancore and cochin and also of malabar and
to put the whole thing into the form of a statute. The
problem was already before the former government. Simultaneously
with the integration of departmental; practices of the
travacore cochin state and the malabar area the government
hopes to frame and place before you a bill to give statutory
basis for the integrated educational code. Equally important
is the longstanding proposal to reorganize the Travancore
University along democratic lines so that it serves the
purpose of a kerala university bringing all the institutions
of collegiate education under its guidance and control
Already there is a bill pending with the government drafted
by the reforms committee set up a few years ago and thoroughly
examined by all concerned my government proposes to finalise
the draft bill in the light of the latest available information
about the constitution of universities and place it for
your consideration In the field of primary education the
government has the idea of further strengthening the basic
system by integrating the substantial values of the two
different systems already prevailing in this state. As
a policy in concurrence with the directive in the constitution
the government is glad to announce that the entire responsibility
of providing elementary education will be shouldered by
the government and that this policy will be implemented
according to a phased programme. There is also the proposal
to standardize the salaries of teachers throughout the
state eliminating all types of discrimination in service.
As to the mode of payment my government would like to
accept the best from the erstwhile travancore cochin state
and the malabar area. As to the expansion of education
I am happy to announce that preference will be given to
the malabar area. To start with my government has decided
to open 30 high schools in the malabar are in 1957-58.
The question of expanding technological education will
be taken up by the government in consultation with the
expert committees set up by the government of india.
15. Under the second
five year plan co-operation has been announced to be the
line of collectives effort in the field of production
and distribution To follow up this directive we have top
carry the benefits of co-operative to the tiller and worker.
The government therefore proposes to reorganize and strengthen
the sector of co-operative weeding out as for as possible
the role of middle men who obstruct the passage of profit
and progress to the tillers and workers of the state.
This policy of the government would embrace the entire
field of production and distribution.
Our state is reputed
for fishing. The fishing industry would provide employment
for a considerable section of the population of the state
and would form an inexhaustible source of public wealth.
The government proposes to modernize fishing all through
the state utilizing the latest available scientific knowledge
and equipment and to put it within the reach of the fishing
community in the coastal belt.
16. In the field of
medical help it is proposed to set up headquarters hospitals
in each district The supply of medicine and hospital equipment
for each district will be entrusted to the headquarters
hospital
The Medical department
is faced with serious shortage of medical men and nurses
Measures will be taken to cope with these difficulties.
In all hospitals and dispensaries there is overcrowding.
A comprehensive scheme is under consideration to improve
the condition of these hospitals
It is proposed to start
the medical college at kozhikode in may 1957. Present
strength will be about 40 and this will be increased to
100. The outpatient department attached to all important
hospitals is absolutely inadequate and immediate measures
will be taken to rectify this. . The institution of a
protected water supply to the congested urban areas is
the first and foremost consideration of the public health
department adequate measures will be taken to control
malaria and filaria. The question of entertaining honorary
surgeons into hospitals will be considered so as to cope
with the shortage of medical men. The institution of traveling
medical units will be another matter for consideration.
17. The department
for the advancement of backward communities is at present
confined more or less to the former travancore cochin
part of the state. The government proposes to develop
its activities in the former malabar are as well further
more the government realises the need for making its work
more efficient and more useful for the backward communities
than it is to-day
During the current
session as already stated you will have to consider the
kerala stay of eviction proceedings bill replacing the
ordinance besides you will be called upon to consider
among other matters the payment of salaries and allowances
(amendment) bill and the koodalmanickom devaswom proclamation
(amendment) Bill
The above are some
of the lines on which the government proposes to work
in the next few months their plans have not yet been fully
or concretely worked out in detail. This will naturally
take a little time since the present government assumed
office only three weeks ago. I hope that with the help
and co-operation of you members of the legislative assembly
and the public of the state the government will shortly
be able to work out its programmes more fully and in greater
details
It is with this hope
that I welcome you to the first session of your legislative
assembly and wish you god speed in your deliberation.
In
Pdf
|
