THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
Giving a fillip to Kerala’s ambitious Malinya Muktam Nava Keralam campaign, the Local Self Government Department (LSGD) today released its theme song titled Nammalanu Mattam (We are the Change).
Minister for Local Self Government and Excise Minister MB Rajesh unveiled the song at a seminar on the Local Governments in Kerala held at the Central Stadium as part of the ongoing Keraleeyam festival.
The three-minute song is jointly developed by the Kerala Solid Waste Management Project (KSWMP) and the Suchitwa Mission.
The song focuses on the extensive campaign that aims to create more awareness among the people on keeping their environment litter-free.
Directed by Vishnu Venu under the banner of Kadhaas Untold, the lyrics of the theme song are by Adhri Joe, and the music is set by Aswin Ram. The lead singers are Job Kurien, Sitara Krishnakumar and Madhuvanthi Narayan.
Haritha Karma Sena members dance to the song – Marendathu Njanalle, Mattendathu Njanenne – emphasising the personal responsibility of each citizen in bringing about positive changes in the solid waste management activities.
Rajesh, who presided over the seminar, said waste management is one of the most challenging issues that Kerala is today facing, further adding that the state has made great strides in the area now and called for converting the challenges into opportunities.
The minister said the state would achieve the goals set out by the campaign by March 2024.
The local self-governments are currently running more than 8,000 projects as part of the campaign under the LSGD. He said the government would also introduce ratings and social auditing for the LSG institutions to increase transparency.
By January 2024, the entire range of LSG services will be made easily accessible to the citizens on a mobile app, K-Smart, in good quality, he added.
“Rapid urbanisation is another challenge we are facing,” Rajesh said.
He pointed out that the local self-governments had acted as engines of socio-economic transformation whenever Kerala was confronted with a crisis. He recalled how Kerala survived back-to-back floods and the Covid pandemic on the strength of their effective interventions.
“The LSGIs aim to develop solid local economies by strengthening entrepreneurship, innovations, skill development, and employment-revenue generation,” he said.
“Empowering the LSGIs to contribute to wealth creation through welfare activities, besides local development, is a major target of this government.”
The minister also administered the Malinya Muktam Nava Keralam pledge on the occasion.
Former Union Minister Mani Shankar Iyer, former State Finance Minister TM Thomas Isaac, Chief Secretary Dr Venu V, LSGD Additional Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan, KSWMP Project Director Dr Divya S Iyer, former Chief Secretary SM Vijayanand and senior LSGD officials also attended the seminar.
