FORGING STRATEGIC LINKAGES BETWEEN LOCAL SELF GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS AND OTHER R&D, ENGINEERING, ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS AND NGOS

Funding Agency: Decentralization Support Programme, Department of Local Self Government, Kerala

As envisaged in the 73rd and 74th Amendments to the Indian Constitution, local governments as the third tier of government along with the Central and State governments, have been set up in Kerala. Kerala has devolved a large number of development functions to local governments. With the dynamic nature of technological developments in various sectors, the role of R&D, Engineering and Academic Institutions in the effective formulation, implementation and evaluation of the development projects by the local self-governments, is critical. They can support local governments in sectors like agriculture, health, water and sanitation, ICT and IT Enabled Services, various engineering support services, traditional industries, education, poverty reduction, local economic development and so on. The linkage between these institutions and Local Governments would have profound influence in strengthening decentralisation in Kerala. The main objective of the project was to organise workshops with active participation from R&D institutions, engineering and academic institutions, NGOs and Local Governments. The outcome of the programme was the development of procedures and modalities for forging Strategic Linkages between these institutions and the Local Self Government Institutions. The activity has been taken up as a Technical Assistance programme under the Decentralisation Support Programme of the Department of Local Self Government, Kerala and organised by Centre for Environment and Development, Thiruvananthapuram.