Vellanad
Grama Panchayat

The Panchayat covers 18 wards with a population exceeding 31,156 as per the 2011 Census , spread over 22.19 sq. km. The strategy was formulated through discussions and analysis by Working Groups, Grama Sabhas (Village Assemblies), and various people's organizational systems. The projects primarily utilize development funds, own funds, NREGS funds, maintenance funds, and Central Finance Commission grants , prioritizing Garbage-free Navakeralam and Women's Development.
I. Social Welfare and Poverty Eradication
The strategy focuses heavily on eliminating absolute poverty and improving social welfare across all groups.
Poverty Eradication:
The Ashraya scheme is implemented to eradicate absolute poverty in the rural community.
The aim is to identify and assist those struggling to afford even one meal a day. The existing list of the Ashraya scheme will be revised.
The Panchayat allocates maximum funds for the LIFE Mission project to ensure housing for all eligible beneficiaries.
As part of extreme poverty eradication, the extremely poor are provided with housing, medicine, and food kits.
Welfare for the Differently Abled and Elderly:
Steps are being taken to update the current data on the differently-abled.
Special projects aim to provide pensions, scholarships, and other benefits to all eligible persons with disabilities.
The Panchayat aims to establish a BUDS School.
The plan includes constructing fully-equipped Daycare Homes for the elderly in one or two areas, providing facilities like food, entertainment, and transportation.
Women's Development:
Beyond existing schemes, projects are planned to make spaces frequently visited by women "women-friendly".
This includes providing women-friendly toilets and special facilities for breastfeeding mothers at places like hospitals, bus stands, and markets.
Vigilance Committees will be strengthened, and legal awareness classes organized to address issues, including domestic abuse, against women and children.
Child Welfare:
Vellanad is recognized as a Child-Friendly Panchayat , and related activities need strengthening.
The main activity is convening the Children's Grama Sabha to directly identify their needs and formulate projects.
The goal is to foster a generation with democratic awareness, interest in social service, and a priority for human values.
SC/ST Development:
The plan aims for comprehensive activities to improve the status of Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) and fully integrate them into the mainstream.
Projects include providing houses to those without livable homes , offering assistance for renovation/repairs , providing aid to purchase land for landless families , promoting cottage industries , starting livelihood units , implementing domestic waste management systems in all homes , and offering deserving educational encouragement.
Comprehensive schemes are viewed as the overall vision to help the ST population, who are limited in number but lag behind other groups in educational, social, cultural, and economic fields.
II. Agricultural, Water, and Animal Husbandry Sectors
A. Agriculture
Focus Areas: Emphasis is given to food production , particularly organic vegetable farming, banana cultivation, model integrated farming units, and vegetable farming in optimal farming family units and institutions.
Goals: Projects aim to encourage all families to produce poison-free vegetables. Identifying fallow land for cultivation, including rain-fed paddy farming.
NREGS Integration: The MGNREGS will be fully integrated with the agricultural sector for activities like land preparation for all types of farming.
Expansion Target: The goal is to expand the area under cultivation from the current 60 hectares to 100 hectares by the final year of the 14th Five-Year Plan.
Support: Coconut Development is targeted by distributing quality coconut seedlings and providing organic fertilizers.
Survey: A detailed survey has been conducted with Kudumbashree workers to collect data on farming, especially the actual cultivated land.
B. Water and Irrigation
Irrigation Infrastructure: Existing public ponds will be renovated for irrigation purposes to ensure water availability for farming.
Water Conservation: Extensive projects are planned to construct rain pits in all possible homesteads for rainwater harvesting to raise groundwater levels.
Integration and Aid: All irrigation schemes will maximize integration with the MGNREGS. Genuine farmers will be provided with assistance for irrigation works, including ponds, pumpsets, irrigation wells, and drip irrigation systems.
Marketing: More marketing centers will be established to ensure fair prices for farmers' produce.
C. Animal Husbandry
Vellanad is a Panchayat where a large section of the population has traditionally relied on cattle rearing for their livelihood.
Challenges: Key problems are the scarcity of straw and green grass for feed, the price hike in other feeds, and the low price of milk compared to production costs. Strategies are formulated to solve these issues.
Schemes: The plan includes the distribution of buffalo calves, crossbred milking cows, and layer and broiler chicks.
Infrastructure & Cultivation: Ponds will be renovated, and the bunds will be used for coconut cultivation with fodder grass as an intercrop.
NREGS Integration: MGNREGS will be integrated for constructing cattle sheds, poultry sheds, and goat sheds for dairy farmers.
Goal: The aim is a big leap in milk and egg production by implementing dairy units and poultry farming, combining direct Department of Animal Husbandry schemes and bank loans.
Animal Control: Licensing of all pet dogs and sterilizing stray dogs is planned.
Mission Integration: Problems in the agricultural and allied sectors will be addressed by implementing projects in conjunction with the government's Haritha Keralam Mission.
III. Industry, Education, Health, and Culture
A. Industry
SHG Promotion: The functioning of Women's Self Help Groups (SHGs), Kudumbashree units, and Men's SHGs has promoted savings habits and developed micro-employment units.
New Units: The plan aims to establish small industrial units using locally available raw materials, combining bank loans and subsidies.
Traditional Arts: Traditional industries using reed, cane, and straw mats will be improved through skill training.
Marketing: Emphasis is on starting marketing centers for selling rural products.
Utilization of Savings: Starting production units, especially those that increase agricultural output, will enable SHGs to use their accumulated savings for investment.
B. Health and Sanitation
Infrastructure: Projects will be undertaken to improve the basic facilities of Vellanad CHC and the Ayurveda and Homoeo institutions, and to provide laboratory testing services at reduced rates.
Disease Control: Schemes are aimed at controlling the rising incidence of lifestyle diseases, epidemics, and mosquito-borne and water-borne diseases.
Waste Management: Projects will be undertaken for the scientific management of all waste, including plastic. Schemes are formulated for liquid and organic waste management, including bio-bins and compost units in all households.
Integration: Waste management projects will be integrated with the MGNREGS wherever possible.
Collaboration: Resolving health sector issues will involve the cooperation of all sectors of society, including political parties, trade unions, youth organizations, Resident Associations, voluntary organizations, health workers, and Kudumbashree.
C. Education
The Panchayat operates 8 LPS (Lower Primary Schools) under its control and one LPS and one UPS (Upper Primary School) under private management.
Challenges: Low enrollment and high dropout rates remain a problem in some schools.
Improvements: Schemes focus on improving basic facilities and providing learning materials.
Academic Goals: The plan aims to create systems to improve the academic excellence of schools , including the Vellanad LPS, which is over 100 years old.
Mission Goal: The objective is to undertake projects in the education sector by forming various school-level people's committees as stipulated by the State Government's Public Education Protection Mission.
D. Culture, Sports, and Infrastructure
Vellanad is a culturally advanced Panchayat. The world-renowned institution Mithranikethan is a matter of pride for Vellanad , along with institutions like Daleview and Karunasai.
Active involvement is seen from libraries, cultural/youth organizations, clubs, and arts/sports organizations.
Major projects planned for the period include:
Improving basic facilities for clubs and libraries.
Stadium renovation, providing sports kits, and organizing arts and sports training.
Extreme poverty eradication, garbage-free projects, child-friendly initiatives, welfare for the elderly, healthcare, drinking water availability, basic infrastructure development for Anganwadis and school buildings.
Providing a vehicle for palliative care activities.
Establishing a Happiness Park and a Fitness Center for women.