JACOB EASOW Valiaparampil, TKM College P.O, Kollam -5, Kerala, India, Pin: 691 005 Phone : +919446573220 E-mail : [email protected] Educational Qualifications Qualification College University/Board Master in Urban & Regional School of Planning & School of Planning & Planning Architecture, New Delhi Architecture, New Delhi Government Engineering B.Sc (Engg) in Civil Engineering Cochin University College, Trichur Positions Held Additional Chief Town Planner, Government of Kerala Head of Planning & Development Wing of Department of Town and Country Planning Head of the State Project Cell for the Project of Preparation of Local Development Plan (LDP)-Integrated District Development Plan (IDDP) and State Perspective Plan (SPP). Head of the State Project Cell for the Scheme of Preparation of Urban Development Plans. Experiences 1. One year as Site Engineer in Kerala State Construction Corporation. 2. Two years as Design Engineer in Central Electricity Authority, Government of India. 3. 28 years in Department of Town and Country Planning, Government of Kerala – of this, 13 years as District Town Planner, 6 ½ years as Senior Town Planner and half an year as Additional Chief Town Planner. Achievements 1. Developed an innovative methodology for Local and District Planning in line with the 73 rd & 74 th Constitution Amendments. Using this methodology an Integrated District Development Plan (IDDP) for Kollam District and Local Development Plans (LDP) for selected Municipalities and Village Panchayats in the district have been prepared successfully as a pilot project. Hand Book for the Preparation of IDDP and LDP, Manual for Spatial Analysis, series of handouts and presentations etc were prepared enabling successful implementation of the project. Extensive training programmes to elected representatives, officials, professionals, resource persons, member of Civil Society Groups and other stake holders of the project were conducted as part of preparation of Plans. The success of this experiment has prompted the State Government to extend it to all districts in the state of Kerala. It was appreciated and recommended by Planning Commission, Government of India, Controller and Auditor General of India, and various committees like the Committee for Evaluation of Decentralized Planning and Development, Government of Kerala. This initiative was short listed for final selection for the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration in 2010 and I was the head of group considered for the Award. 2. Formulated a Scheme of preparation of Development Plan for all towns in Kerala. Developed various toolkits, handouts, training materials etc including methodology of plan preparation for the scheme. Thus 25 development plans were completed under me in this Scheme in a short span of 2 ½ years. 3. Directly involved in the Preparation of Development/Master Plans for major urban centers like Thiruvananthapuram City, Kollam urban region, Pathanamthitta town, Paravur Town, Adoor town, Thiruvalla town and in vetting and finalisation of Development Plans of cities/towns of Kozhikode, Vadakara, Palakkad, Kalpetta, Kayamkulam, Muvattupuzha, North Paravur and Kothamangalam. Also involved in vetting and finalisation of Development Plans of Village Panchayats namely Kozhenchery, Pooyappally, Poothakulam, Pattazhy, Chavara, Thekkumbhagam, Vellinalloor, Perinad, Sooranad, Panayam, Chirakkara and Elanad. 4. Formulated a methodology for District Urbanisation Report (DUR) and District Spatial Plan (DSP) and thus prepared 11 DURs and 2 DSPs for various districts in Kerala. State Urbanisation Report (SUR) was also prepared and published. 5. Introduced and hosted Web GIS (Internet Map Server) for the Department – first (2007) of its kind developed by a Government Department in India. 6. Formulated model zoning regulations for Kerala. 7. Designed an action plan for variation of Town Planning Schemes in Kerala. 8. Formulated a project K.D.A. Commercial Estate at Andamukkam, Kollam (1993). This project is proposed to be implemented as a joint venture programme of the Development Authority with private sector involvement. 9. Key role in the forest land transfer for Idukki Head Quarter Township which was pending for more than 15 years. 10. Prepared various Detailed Town Planning Schemes and Projects. 11. Sanctioning process of various Town Planning Schemes and Plans. 12. Acted as member of various state level and department level committees such as Task Force of Town and Country Planning Department for the Administrative Reforms Committee Initiative Owner on Spatial Planning under Modernising Government Programme, on ADB initiative. State Level Technical Advisory Group of Decentralised Planning Task Force for the preparation Draft Town and Country Planning Bill. Major Publications 1. “An Innovative Experiment for the Preparation of Development Plans: Kerala Initiative” Spatio-Economic Development Record (Referred Journal); Vol.12 No.3 May-June 2005, Pp 6-15. 2. Presented a paper “Mapping of Urban Poor in Kerala: Approaches in Regional and Local Plans” in the British Academy Disseminations Event on “Developing a Placed – based Understanding of Poverty” on 7 th September 2011 at University of Dundee, Scotland, U.K. 3. An article “District Planning in India” was published in Manorama Year Book 2012. 4. An article “Town Planning” was published in Manorama Year Book 2007, pp 601-604. 5. “Sustainable Development of Habitat: Agenda of Actions in Planning Context” (5th July, 2012), Presented in the National Seminar, Department of Civil Engineering, Sree Buddha College of Engineering, Pandalam, Kerala. 6. “Effective Land Use Planning Through Integrated District and Local Plans: Model from Kollam, Kerala” paper presented in the workshop on “Country Planning/National Land Use Policy” on 19 th May, 2011 at New Delhi organized by Department of Land Resources, Government of India. 7. “Integrated District Development Planning: the Kollam Experience” paper presented in the workshop on “Local Governance and Decentralised Service Delivery in the 12 th Five Year Plan” on 25 th August, 2011 at New Delhi organized by the World Bank. 8. Presented the IDDP Model of District Planning, at the workshop conducted by SIRPP, West Bengal on the methodology on District Planning (2 nd June 2011). 9. Presented Methodology of IDDP before the Rajasthan Delegation to Kerala on 17 th May 2012 at KILA, Thrissur organized by the Institute of Social Science, New Delhi. 10. ‘District Planning Methodology, A Model from Kollam District, Kerala’ Paper presented in the Inter National Conference on International Conference on ‘District Planning Methodology and Agenda for Action’, jointly organised by the Institute of Social Sciences, New Delhi and the District Planning Committee of Kollam, with the support of Planning Commission, Government of Kerala and UNDP, on 28-29, August, 2009, Kollam. 11. Presented a paper on “Decentralised Planning Process and Spatial Planning – experience from Kerala” in the workshop on Integrated District Planning on 28 th October 2009 organised by SIRD, Assam at Guwahati. 12. Presented a paper on “District Spatial Planning: Lessons from a Pilot Project in Kollam District of Kerala” paper presented in the workshop on Integrated District Planning at Simla on 21 st July 2009 organised by Govt. of Himachal Pradesh. 13. “District Regional Development Plan: Scope and Methodology”, Technical Paper (Referred Journal), 57 th National Town & Country Planners’ Congress held at Goa, Institute of Town Planners’ India. (2009) Pp 54-64. 14. Presented a paper on “Integration of District Plan and Urban Plans” in the Workshop on Regional Planning organized by National Technical Advisory Group of JnNURM at New Delhi on 9 th May, 2009. 15. “Integration of Local and District Development Plans: An Example from Kollam District, Kerala”, Workshop on Comprehensive Development Planning for Cities in Rajasthan (June 2008), India, USP. 16. “Effective Land Use Planning Through Integrated District Development Plan and Local Development Plan”, National Seminar on Spatial Technologies of Land Use Planning (April 2008), Kerala State Land Use Board. 17. “Sustainable Development of Habitat: Agenda of Actions in Planning Context” (November 2008), Keynote address on the National Conference on Technological Trends, Department of Architecture, College of Engineering, Trivandrum, Kerala. 18. “A Paradigm in Local and District Plans Preparation Process”, Proceedings of the 55 th National Town and Country Planners’ Congress, Institute of Town Planners’, India (2007), pp231-242. 19. “Towards District and Local Planning – A Kerala Initiative”, opening paper in the plenary session of the International Seminar held at Thiruvananthapuram on ‘Kerala – People’s Plan Revisited’ during 14 th – 15 th , December 2007. 20. “Local and District Plans through Participatory Approach: A Framework for Protection of Coastal Areas” National Seminar on ‘Combating Coastal Challenges’ during 7 th – 8th , November, 2007 organised by Citizen Consumer and civic Action Group (CAG) Chennai. 21. “Sustainable Development of Urban Habitat: Agenda of Actions in Planning Context” National Seminar on Sustainable Urban Habitat (October 2003) Department of Civil Engineering, TKM College of Engineering, Kollam, Kerala. 22. “Preparation of Urban Development Plans in Kerala State”, National Seminar on Emerging Trends in Planning (November 2000), Department of Architecture T.K.M. College of Engineering, Kollam, Kerala. 23. “Human Settlement Pattern