Plan to get district’s economy back on track

  • | Tuesday | 24th July, 2018

Strategies will be discussed with local bodies only after the formulation of a concrete plan, since Kozhikode is the fastest growing urban district in the State. Cultivators are concentrated in the mid and highland regions, while agricultural labourers are concentrated in northwestern and central regions of the district. A committee, comprising District Panchayat President Babu Parassery as chairman and District Collector U.V. While the production sector, including agriculture, is showing a declining trend, urbanisation is slowly spreading to the interiors. Jose as co-chairman, has decided to prepare an Integrated District Development Plan.

An aeriel view of Kozhikode city. While the production sector, including agriculture, is showing a declining trend, urbanisation is slowly spreading to the interiors. | Photo Credit: S_RAMESHKURUP;S_RAMESHKURUP - more-in The District Planning Committee (DPC) has sought the advice of experts from various fields to mend the sagging economic base of Kozhikode which has been in reverse mode for quite some time. A committee, comprising District Panchayat President Babu Parassery as chairman and District Collector U.V. Jose as co-chairman, has decided to prepare an Integrated District Development Plan. A four-day brainstorming session focusing on blue economy, responsible tourism, agro-based industries, higher education, and transportation and communication began at Sargaalaya Arts and Crafts village at Iringal on Monday. Alarm bells have started ringing for the district, with the production sector, including agriculture, showing a declining trend, and more than 50% of the urban population depending on the service sector. At the same time, urbanisation is spreading to the interiors. So, drastic steps evolving multiple strategies should be taken to arrest the decline, K.V. Abdul Malik , Regional Town Planner and member-secretary of the committee, told The Hindu. Strategies The second part of the session will be held at the National Institute of Technology - Calicut in the first week of August. Strategies will be discussed with local bodies only after the formulation of a concrete plan, since Kozhikode is the fastest growing urban district in the State. The percentage of urban population is 67.15%, while the State average is 47.72%, and the population density of the district is 1,317 persons per sq km, which is greater than the State average (860 persons per sq km) Dr. Malik said studies had revealed that the rural areas of the district were also slowly withdrawing from the primary sector to depend more on the service sector. The boundary distinguishing the characters of rural and urban areas is narrowing down. Kozhikode has been a prominent centre of trade and commerce, and the district still maintains the reminiscences of its glorious past, which is linked to other major settlements in the State and offers tremendous tourism opportunities. However, most traditional industries set up in the region are getting closed, he added. According to Dr. Malik, the work participation rate in the district is 30.7%, which is quite low in comparison with other districts, and the value is even less than that of the State average. Cultivators are concentrated in the mid and highland regions, while agricultural labourers are concentrated in northwestern and central regions of the district. And, the household industrial workers are in the coastal and midland regions, he said.

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