Keralam Govt Launches ‘Janasparsham’ Drive to Clear 2.76 Lakh Pending E-Files

The Keralam government has completed 568 of the 588 projects targeted under its 100-day programme, achieving 96.5 per cent progress, Chief Minister V D Satheesan said on Friday, announcing a special drive to clear pending government files.

The initiative, named ‘Janasparsham’, will run from October 15 to December 31 and aims to address long-standing delays in government departments while identifying measures to prevent files from accumulating. Speaking after a cabinet meeting, Satheesan said the remaining 20 projects had achieved more than 90 per cent completion. The government initially planned 602 projects but subsequently excluded certain initiatives that were found impractical or required legislation.

He attributed the progress to regular monitoring by the chief minister, chief secretary and respective ministers. A public portal has also been launched to enable citizens and the media to track project implementation. Dashboards at the Chief Minister’s Office and Chief Secretary’s Office will help identify bottlenecks and monitor departmental performance.

The state currently has around 2.76 lakh pending electronic files, besides a substantial number of physical files. Satheesan said the clearance drive would examine why files remained pending, whether matters were unnecessarily referred to multiple departments and if decisions could be taken at lower administrative levels. The government aims to resolve individual cases while developing mechanisms to prevent similar delays in the future, he said.

Satheesan also announced that educational benefit arrears had been cleared for 1,70,457 eligible students from backward classes and other communities. A total of Rs 180 crore was disbursed during the 100-day programme to cover post-matric benefits pending since the 2022-23 academic year.

Separately, projects worth Rs 510 crore were initiated at Vizhinjam, including a new fishing harbour, modernisation of the existing facility and a breakwater to protect fishermen. The government also distributed Rs 35 crore in compensation to 2,000 fishermen affected by increased travel distances and kerosene expenses during breakwater construction, Satheesan said.