The Hindu Business Line : Technological change vital for job creation in Kerala: CDS report

THERE is need for all-round technological change, especially in the primary sector activities, in Kerala in order to realise a sustainable pattern of human development and income growth, according to a report prepared by the Centre for Development Studies (CDS).

The `Human Development Report' says that the social terrain in the State is such that no gainful employment may be created for the vast army of educated labour force without system-wide emphasis on technological change.

The report makes a distinction between "traded" and "non-traded" sectors. The "traded" sector is subject to competition and this could be addressed by successful technological change along with innovation.

In the case of the "non-traded" sector, there is scope for chalking out a strategy to sustain its rapid growth. The ultimate test is one of increasing labour productivity.

The report feels that the most critical aspect, both from a short-term and long-term point of view, is the development and management of critical infrastructure. So, there should be efforts to improve and develop such areas as the supply of power, water control, road and water transport and environmental sanitation.

A common factor in the development of critical infrastructure is the time and cost overruns. A thorough review of the time and cost overruns of all infrastructure projects is imperative to eliminate such overruns in future projects.

"The State's poor record in the development and management of infrastructure, especially those falling in the purview of the State Government, is in sharp contrast to the exemplary record in projects and programmes in the social and development sectors," notes the report. Another area of concern is environmental sanitation. While sanitation facilities of a personal and household kind are being taken care of, those in the public realm such as waste disposal and treatment have become subjects of increasing controversy and public concern over the last one-and-a-half decades.

Though the local bodies are charged with the responsibility for environmental sanitation, they are not supported in terms of resources, technical assistance and political will. The environmental sanitation is an important factor in the State's ability to pursue a sustainable growth strategy involving preservation and augmentation of the ecosystem that attracts so many tourists.

In this context, the report calls for a mission mode approach with a time-bound plan to institutionalise a system for environmental sanitation comprising waste disposal, treatment and management. All available sources of financial and technical assistance should be tapped for this purpose.

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