UDF against reviving development authorities

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The UDF Government has decided to backtrack from its policy decision to revive the development authorities which were scrapped by the previous LDF Government. The LDF Government had wound up the functioning of Idukki, Palakkad, Thrissur and Kozhikode development authorities. The assets and liabilities were handed over to the local bodies.  When the UDF came to power, the Urban Affairs Department decided to revive the development authorities. Urban Affairs Minister P K Kunhalikutty announced in the Assembly that the authorities would be revived but bringing back those employees who were redeployed at the Local Self-Government Department would hamper the functioning of the local bodies.  Sources in the Urban Affairs Department said that the revival of the authorities was not possible as it would affect the functioning of the local bodies. There are plans to constitute regional development authorities which will also have the role of developmental authorities but will not clash with the decentralised process of the local bodies. However, the Trivandrum Development Authority (Trida), Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) and Goshree Islands Development Authority (GIDA) will continue with the same pattern of functioning. Urban Affairs Department will soon hold a meeting with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy to chalk out strategy for the formation of new authorities.  The authorities will be formed only in the municipal and Corporation limits so that there will not be any confrontation with the panchayats.  These agencies were wound up as they were incurring huge operational expenses to the LSG Department and badly affecting the functioning of decentralised process at the local bodies. It was also alleged that these agencies had not taken up development activities on their own. Following the decision to scrap the authorities, the employees were redeployed to the local bodies. The functioning of the new authorities will be decided only after detailed discussions. All aspects of development in urban areas will be considered before framing the guidelines for the authorities. As per the Constitution, the rights of the local bodies in carrying out the decentralised process cannot be denied. The new authorities will not affect their  functioning but will help them in development activities in urban areas.