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State planning Right to Health Act
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said the Right to Health Act would be the next milestone of his government.
In an exclusive interview to The Hindu in connection with the first anniversary of his government, Mr. Chandy said he had pushed for the Right to Health Act at the recent Chief Ministers' conference convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and at the extended All India Congress Committee meeting.
Mr. Chandy said modern medical treatment facilities were available in the country and in the State. But large sections of society could not afford the high cost of medical treatment. It was therefore imperative to ensure availability of treatment facilities for all sections. The proposal for a Right to Health Act, similar to the Right to Education Act, was in tune with the United Democratic Front (UDF) government's slogan of ‘Development and Care', he said.
With regard to the Right to Service Act, Mr. Chandy said the draft bill was getting ready and the government would soon bring in legislation, besides holding discussions with stakeholders. All through the interview, Mr. Chandy indicated that he preferred to be forward-looking by presenting an administration that had a clear agenda with regard to development of the State.
Irrelevant numbers
The last one year had its ups and downs, but the most satisfying part was that his government had proved that a slender majority was not a stumbling block for an efficient administration. “There was apprehensions about the stability of our government. We have proved that numbers are irrelevant and the constraints of a slender majority can be overcome by political will. No one has any doubts about the UDF government's stability”.
The UDF government's style of functioning, which emphasised on transparency and discussions on contentious issues, had succeeded in triggering a change in the mindset of the people, he said. Listing the development projects and welfare schemes, Mr. Chandy said the government was gearing up for the ‘Emerging Kerala' conference and the preparation of Vision 2030, both of which would lay the development road map that goes beyond the customary five years of a Ministry's term in office.
Indicating that he preferred to leave behind the controversy created by the induction of the Indian Union Muslim League's fifth Minister in his team, Mr. Chandy, while admitting to differences of opinion between the IUML and the Congress on the issue, maintained that he held the view that there was neither any excessive demand from any section nor was there any denial of entitlements due to any other. “We not only resolved the issue through consultations, but successfully wrapped up the sharing of the two Rajya Sabha seats”, he said.
On investigations in the T.P. Chandrasekharan murder case, Mr. Chandy said the law would take its own course. He, however, said it was high time political violence was brought to an end for the larger development of the State.
Asked about the failure of local bodies to deliver development schemes, Mr. Chandy said local bodies faced several constraints. “One major problem was that the local bodies do not have the powers over the employees. We are trying to sort out this issue. The second problem is with regard to freedom to utilise funds,” he said. The shift to five-year planning would go a long way in helping the local bodies to implement Plan schemes efficiently. The technical committees had been disbanded to ensure higher utilisation of funds. Norms for the implementation of Central schemes had either been amended or were in the process of being changed. This would ensure better performance, he said.
The Hindu : Today's Paper / NATIONAL : State planning Right to Health Act
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said the Right to Health Act would be the next milestone of his government.
In an exclusive interview to The Hindu in connection with the first anniversary of his government, Mr. Chandy said he had pushed for the Right to Health Act at the recent Chief Ministers' conference convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and at the extended All India Congress Committee meeting.
Mr. Chandy said modern medical treatment facilities were available in the country and in the State. But large sections of society could not afford the high cost of medical treatment. It was therefore imperative to ensure availability of treatment facilities for all sections. The proposal for a Right to Health Act, similar to the Right to Education Act, was in tune with the United Democratic Front (UDF) government's slogan of ‘Development and Care', he said.
With regard to the Right to Service Act, Mr. Chandy said the draft bill was getting ready and the government would soon bring in legislation, besides holding discussions with stakeholders. All through the interview, Mr. Chandy indicated that he preferred to be forward-looking by presenting an administration that had a clear agenda with regard to development of the State.
Irrelevant numbers
The last one year had its ups and downs, but the most satisfying part was that his government had proved that a slender majority was not a stumbling block for an efficient administration. “There was apprehensions about the stability of our government. We have proved that numbers are irrelevant and the constraints of a slender majority can be overcome by political will. No one has any doubts about the UDF government's stability”.
The UDF government's style of functioning, which emphasised on transparency and discussions on contentious issues, had succeeded in triggering a change in the mindset of the people, he said. Listing the development projects and welfare schemes, Mr. Chandy said the government was gearing up for the ‘Emerging Kerala' conference and the preparation of Vision 2030, both of which would lay the development road map that goes beyond the customary five years of a Ministry's term in office.
Indicating that he preferred to leave behind the controversy created by the induction of the Indian Union Muslim League's fifth Minister in his team, Mr. Chandy, while admitting to differences of opinion between the IUML and the Congress on the issue, maintained that he held the view that there was neither any excessive demand from any section nor was there any denial of entitlements due to any other. “We not only resolved the issue through consultations, but successfully wrapped up the sharing of the two Rajya Sabha seats”, he said.
On investigations in the T.P. Chandrasekharan murder case, Mr. Chandy said the law would take its own course. He, however, said it was high time political violence was brought to an end for the larger development of the State.
Asked about the failure of local bodies to deliver development schemes, Mr. Chandy said local bodies faced several constraints. “One major problem was that the local bodies do not have the powers over the employees. We are trying to sort out this issue. The second problem is with regard to freedom to utilise funds,” he said. The shift to five-year planning would go a long way in helping the local bodies to implement Plan schemes efficiently. The technical committees had been disbanded to ensure higher utilisation of funds. Norms for the implementation of Central schemes had either been amended or were in the process of being changed. This would ensure better performance, he said.
The Hindu : Today's Paper / NATIONAL : State planning Right to Health Act
