REPORT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF KASARAGOD DISTRICT Dr. P. Prabakaran October, 2012 TABLE OF CONTENTS No. Topic Page No. Preface ........................................................................................................................................................ 5 PART-I LAW AND ORDER *(Already submitted in July 2012) ............................................ 9 PART - II DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVE 1. Background ....................................................................................................................................... 13 Development Sectors 2. Agriculture ................................................................................................................................................. 47 3. Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development.................................................................................. 113 4. Fisheries and Harbour Engineering................................................................................................... 133 5. Industries, Enterprises and Skill Development...............................................................................179 6. Tourism .................................................................................................................................................. 225 Physical Infrastructure 7. Power .................................................................................................................................................. 243 8. Improvement of Roads and Bridges in the district and development of Kasaragod Municipal area .......................................................................... 267 Social Infrastructure 9. Drinking Water .................................................................................................................................... 289 10. Sanitation and Waste Management................................................................................................... 313 11. Health........................................................................................................................................................ 327 12. School Education....................................................................................................................................377 13. Higher Education.................................................................................................................................... 401 14. Culture .................................................................................................................................................. 421 15. Sports ....................................................................................................................................................... 427 Social Development 16. Linguistic Minorities............................................................................................................................. 433 17. Developmental Issues of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes........................................... 441 18. Rehabilitation of Endosulfan Affected .......................................................................................... 471 Governance and Implementation Strategy 19. Revenue Administration ...................................................................................................................... 493 20. Enhancing Public Service Delivery..................................................................................................505 21. Issues to be taken up with Government of India............................................................................515 22. Strategy for Implementation................................................................................................................ 523 23. Summary of Recommendations ........................................................................................................ 533 PART III. ANNEXURE 1. Government Order mandating the report........................................................................................611 2. Schedule of Consultations................................................................................................................... 613 3. Tour notes................................................................................................................................................ 615 4. Map of Kasaragod ................................................................................................................................. 617 PREFACE asaragod has certain uniqueness which makes it a special district in the State of Kerala. K The place is a veritable meeting point of cultures and has the distinction of a large concentration of both religious and linguistic minorities. The geophysical features also make it distinct. The district has a rich agriculture base and has not much of industrial enterprises. The district however offers vast stretches of vacant and barren lands, which is rather an unusual sight in the State. The physical and social infrastructure have not advanced to the levels obtaining in other parts of the State. Nearly three decades after the district formation the developmental aspirations of the people remain largely unfulfilled. The State Government has taken the initiative to get a development plan prepared for the district and the special emphasis on this initiative could be felt when the Chief Minister himself briefed me of the background and the expectations while commissioning this study. I had the opportunity to serve the fledgling district as District Collector nearly two and half decades back in time. During that period the enthusiasm and the aspirations of the people were palpable and every single small step taken to set the tone for development of the new district received acclaim and was lauded by the people. But one must say that the hiatus between the expectations and the actual developments over the years has led to a feeling of neglect. The present initiative of the Government is to bring a strong development focus so as to bridge that gap between the aspirations and the actual development, which would also ameliorate and ease the prevailing social tensions. I had sittings in the district during which I could gather the viewpoints of the elected representatives, all the stakeholders and officers. I could visit some of the areas with specific issues and development project proposals. I had several rounds of discussions with the District Collector and other district officials during the visits and subsequently. I held discussions with Secretaries of all departments concerned along with the heads of departments and their representatives, in addition to the officers of the State Planning Board. The report is based on the various inputs gathered during the process and the suggestions and the schemes proposed in the report have in that sense the complete backing of the departments concerned and this would make the implementation process rather smooth. Part I of the report on law and order was submitted to Hon’ble Chief Minister in the month of July 2012. I must record my deepest appreciation for the District Collector, Shri V.N.Jithendran, IAS, for the excellent co-operation and complete involvement in the entire process of consultations, field visits and in the preparation of the report. His development vision and clear focus have indeed been extremely valuable and but for his total involvement the timely preparation of the report would not have been possible. I would also like to thank all the public representatives including the MP, MLAs, District Panchayat President and Heads of all local bodies, representatives of all political parties, various associations, NGOs, media representatives, Secretaries, Heads of Departments, Chief of Agriculture Division in the State Planning Board, the District Officers, R&D institutions, NABARD and Lead Bank for their feedback and valuable suggestions. A special appreciation is due for the team of officers and staff in Kasaragod who have put in hard work in compiling data, editing and formatting the chapters in the report. Shri H.Dineshan, ADM Kasaragod and Collectorate staff, Sri. Narayana Gosada, UDC, Sri. Ravi.A.V., Selection Grade Typist, Sri. Sujesh.B, LDC, Smt. K.Jaya, District Planning Officer, Kasaragod, Smt. Anitha Elias, Assistant District Planning Officer, Sri.Nenoj Meppadiyath, Research Officer and Smt. Nisha, Research Assistant have worked on a continuous basis to bring this report to this standard and I wish to record my gratitude and appreciation for each and every one of them. I hope that this report will help the State Government to launch a special development programme for the district in a time bound manner pooling the resources from various sources as pointed out in the report. I thank the State Government and the Hon’ble Chief Minister in particular for the confidence reposed in me in commissioning this study. Dr. P. Prabakaran, I.A.S (Retd.) Former Chief Secretary Thiruvananthapuram and Adviser (Projects) October, 2012 Govt. of Kerala 13 1. BACKGROUND 1.1 Introduction Kasaragod, the northernmost district of Kerala, is endowed with rich natural resources and is noted for its majestic forts, ravishing rivers, hills, green valleys and beautiful beaches. The rich and varied cultural heritage of the district is portrayed through spectacular presentations of Theyyam, Yakshagana, Poorakkali, Kolkali and Mappilappattu. Seven languages are prevalent in Kasaragod. Malayalam is