Thiruvananthapuram, 25 August (H.S.): The VD Satheesan government has succeeded in creating the impression that it understands Kerala's pressing problems and future opportunities during its first 100 days in office, health expert and CPM fellow traveller Dr B Ekbal has said.

In a Facebook post assessing the government's performance, Ekbal said its principal challenge would be to ensure the continuity and sustainability of newly launched people-oriented programmes. These initiatives must also be institutionalised if they are to produce lasting results, he added.

While acknowledging that the government's first 100 days had generated hope and provided a sense of direction, Ekbal said its ultimate success would depend on its ability to convert initial measures into sustainable policies backed by strong institutional mechanisms.

He also drew attention to the lack of adequate public facilities for women in Kerala. Despite women accounting for more than half of the elected representatives in local self-government institutions, the state has failed to provide them with sufficient numbers of safe and hygienic toilets, he said. The government should accord priority to addressing this deficiency through focused interventions.

Ekbal further called for an objective evaluation of the functioning of Kerala's local self-government institutions over the past three decades. Such an assessment, he said, should identify existing shortcomings and lead to the formulation of a new working model capable of improving their effectiveness and public accountability.

The initial phase of the government had offered hope for change, but announcements alone could not be treated as evidence of success, he observed.

Ekbal awarded the Satheesan government five marks out of 10 for its performance so far. Its future record, he said, must be assessed on the effectiveness and sustainability of its programmes rather than the number of schemes and policy announcements it makes.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman