Pinarayi to inaugurate LSG day celebrations

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the Local Self Government (LSG) day celebrations at a function to be held at the Arts and Craft Village in Vellar near Kovalam on February 19 at 3 p.m. Awards for the best grama, block and district panchayats as well as municipalities and corporations in the State will be presented at the function, in which select representatives will be attending. Seminars on the Local Self Government Department (LSGD) Common Service and Nava Kerala Mission will be organised as part of the event. The day has in the past years been celebrated as Panchayat day in honour of Balwantrai Mehta, considered as the architect of Panchayati Raj. However, with the launch of the LSG Common Services this year, by merging various departments under the three-tier local administrative system, the Government decided to celebrate it as LSG day from this year onwards. Minister for Local Self Governments M.V.Govindan will preside over the function, in which General Education Minister V.Sivankutty, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies G.R. Anil and Transport Minister Antony Raju will participate. Online seminars will be held on the topics of the challenges and possibilities of people’s plan in its silver jubilee year, the Government’s ongoing programme to wipe out poverty and doorstep delivery of services. In the other districts, seminars and discussions on various topics related to local administration will be held at the district and block levels on February 19.