Fri Jan 24 18:48:27 IST 2025: **Kerala Commission to Streamline Local Governance for Better Ease of Doing Business**
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, January 24, 2025 – A newly formed Local Self Government Reforms Commission in Kerala aims to bolster the state’s ease of doing business ranking. Following Kerala’s unprecedented achievement of topping the Union Commerce Ministry’s ease of doing business rankings in 2024, the commission will review and revise laws, rules, and directives governing local bodies.
The commission’s mandate includes recommending changes that balance development with environmental protection. It will examine successful reforms in other states and internationally, focusing on streamlining processes, expanding online service delivery, and integrating e-office systems and mobile applications into local body operations. A key initiative is the April rollout of the K-Smart application, aiming to digitize panchayat services.
However, the commission’s work faces a potential delay. The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) recently ordered that the appointed chairperson, senior IAS officer B. Ashok, remain in his current position as Principal Secretary, Agriculture. The state government has yet to name a replacement. The Institute of Management in Government (IMG) will support the commission’s administrative functions.
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