Business Line 03.03.2011
Kerala to develop ‘growth centres' in urban areas
Our Bureau
Thiruvananthapuram, March 2:
The Kerala Government proposes to identify, plan and
develop urban areas with potential to be developed as major growth
centres.
These growth centres would be chosen for individual
scope for growth in varied sectors ranging from industries, tourism,
information technology, trade and commerce.
ECONOMIC STATUS
The growth centres will improve the economic status of
the people of the region and preclude unplanned urban spillovers and
adverse impact on the productive agriculture sector in rural areas.
This will ensure balanced development of the State
economy, says a statement of intention made in the Economic Review
brought out by the State Planning Board.
The status of infrastructure in such growth centres will
also be improved to meet the increase in demand. Prospects for
private-public participation (PPP) will be explored while seeking to
implement various projects in the growth centres.
MARKED DIFFERENCE
The trend of urbanisation in the State has shown marked peculiarities in relation to that in peer States.
Generally, the increase in urban population growth rate
is the result of existing cities and urban areas reaching a level of
saturation.
But in Kerala, the main reason for urban population
growth is the increase in the number of urban areas as well as increased
urbanisation of peripheral areas of the existing major urban centres,
the Review said.
NOT LIMITED
The urban sector in the State comprise of five municipal
corporations and 53 municipalities. A little more than 25 per cent of
the population live in these urban areas.
This is a little less than the national average. But,
unlike the other parts of the country, urbanisation in the State is not
limited to the designated cities and towns. Barring a few panchayats in
the hilly tracts, the State's population can by and large be termed as
urbanised, the Review added.
(This article was published in the Business Line print edition dated March 3, 2011)
