Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan declares state as fully e-governed; first in country
Thiruvananthapuram, May 25: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday declared the southern state as India's first fully e-governed state where an entire range of government services have been digitised so that they can be provided to the citizens promptly and transparently.
The Chief Minister, after declaring the state as totally e-governed, said it would not only create a network of government offices and citizens, but would use technology for Kerala's development and empower the people by bridging the digital divide.
It would also fast track the journey towards a knowledge society and economy with total e-literacy, he said at the 'Total e-Governance Kerala' event held here.
"By the term governance what the present government means is total commitment to fulfil the promises it has made to the people. The government and governance are reaching out to the people more and more, he said.
"The service delivery has been made people-oriented and corruption-free and public utilities have become people-friendly. These transformative changes have been felt by people in the last seven years," the Chief Minister said.
The government will not stop and rest on its laurels and would focus on ensuring that services reach the masses instead of the people having to knock on the doors of departments for the same. "This can be ensured by leveraging new technology, and that is exactly what the government is focusing on," Vijayan said.
One such "bold step" in that direction was making internet access a citizen's right by rolling out the KFON (Kerala Fibre Optic Network) project, he said and added that it would make access to the internet affordable or free of cost.
He also listed out the other government initiatives -- like a single-window portal called e-Sevanam for delivering as many as 900 services -- for ushering in e-governance which would soon be extended to taluk-level offices.
"In panchayats, delivery of as many as 250 services has been made online," the Chief Minister said.
Setting up the country's first digital university in the state and launch of the digital science park project worth Rs 1,500 crore were the other major steps taken by the government to bridge the digital divide and bring about total e-governance, he said.
Noting that the total e-governance declaration coincided with the second anniversary of the LDF government, Vijayan said his administration has turned the occasion into an opportunity to unveil a series of pro-people projects including the 100-day programme, instead of seeing it as an occasion for just celebrations.
In his welcome address, State Chief Secretary V P Joy said with Kerala becoming the first complete e-governance state in the country, there won't be any delay in providing services to people from government departments and offices.
He said the changes resulting from the implementation of e-governance would reflect in all sections of society and it would be a decisive factor in social progress.
The delivery of all vital services has already been digitised, covering all key domains including health, education, land revenue, documentation of properties, public distribution system and social security payouts, a government statement said.
An exhibition featuring digitisation of service delivery by various government departments is going on at Kanakakunnu here and entry to the same, which is free for the public, would close on May 27, it said.
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UDF leaders see local body poll trends as pointer to 2026 Assembly elections in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Buoyed by the strong performance of the Congress-led UDF in the local body polls, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said on Saturday that the front's results indicated the people had rejected the LDF government.
According to early trends, the UDF was leading in more grama panchayats, block panchayats, municipalities and corporations than the LDF.
The local body polls were held in two phases in the state earlier this week.
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Speaking to reporters here, Joseph said the people of Kerala had extended their support to the UDF.
"We could expose the LDF government’s anti-people stance and the people understood it. The LDF’s fake propaganda was rejected by the people. The UDF is moving towards a historic victory," he said.
He said a united effort, proper preparations, good candidate selection and hard work had resulted in the Congress and the UDF’s victory in the elections.
Asked about the prospects in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Joseph said the party was studying the matter and would comment later.
LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said the results would be closely examined.
According to him, the government had done everything possible for the people.
"Why such a verdict happened will be examined at the micro level. People’s opinion will be considered and further steps will be taken," he said.
He added that decisions would be taken after analysing the results. "If any corrective measures are required, we will initiate them and move forward," he said.
AICC leader K C Venugopal said the results showed that people had begun ousting those who, he alleged, were responsible for the loss of gold at Lord Ayyappa’s temple.
"This trend will continue in the Assembly elections as well. It is an indication that the people are ready to bring down the LDF government," he said.
Venugopal said the UDF had registered victories even in CPI(M) and LDF strongholds.
"I congratulate all UDF workers for their hard work. Congress workers and leaders worked unitedly," he said.
Referring to remarks made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Congress on polling day, Venugopal said the voters had responded through the verdict.
"I do not know whether the chief minister understands that the people are against him. Otherwise, he does not know the sentiment of the people. The state government cannot move an inch further," he said.
He said the results indicated a strong comeback for the UDF in Kerala.
Asked whether the Sabarimala gold loss issue had affected the LDF in the local polls, Venugopal said the CM and the CPI(M) state secretary did not take the issue seriously.
"We took a strong stand on the matter. The BJP played a foul game in it," he alleged.
On the BJP's role in the local body elections, Venugopal alleged that the party operated with the CPI(M) 's tacit support.
"The CPI(M) supported the central government on issues such as PM-SHRI, labour codes and corruption in national highway construction. The CPI(M) is facing ideological decline, and the state government’s policies are against the party’s own decisions," he said.
Meanwhile, LDF ally Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani said the party could not win all the wards it had expected in the elections.
He congratulated winners from all parties and said the party would closely examine the losses and identify shortcomings. "Later, we will take corrective measures," he added.
Senior Congress leader and MP Rajmohan Unnithan said the trends in the local body elections indicated that the UDF would return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections.
"We will win 111 seats as in 1977 and return to power in 2026. The anti-government sentiment of the people is reflected in the elections," he said.
Unnithan said the people were disturbed and unhappy with the present government.
"The trend indicates the end of the LDF government," he added.
CPI(M) MLA M M Mani said the people had shown ingratitude towards the LDF despite benefiting from welfare schemes.
"After receiving all welfare schemes and living comfortably, people voted against us due to some temporary sentiments. Is that not ingratitude," he asked.
Mani said no such welfare initiatives had taken place in Kerala earlier.
"People are receiving pensions and have enough to eat. Even after getting all this, they voted against us. This is what can be called ingratitude," he said.
Muslim League state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said the results were beyond expectations.
"The outcome points towards the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, indicating that a change of government is imminent. We are going to win the Assembly election," he said.
