LDF manifesto commits to advancing its ongoing poverty eradication programme – The Hindu

LDF Manifesto for Local Body Elections: A Commitment to Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 1: No Poverty & SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

• Commitment to advance the ongoing poverty eradication programme with a focus on eliminating absolute poverty.
• A micro-plan-based approach will be utilized, building on the success of bringing 64,006 families out of extreme poverty.
• The next phase will prioritize Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe families to address their general economic and social backwardness, directly contributing to reducing inequalities.
• Continued support is pledged for families who have been lifted out of extreme poverty.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities & SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

• The manifesto promises to continue providing safe and affordable housing, extending the LIFE project which has already constructed 4.71 lakh houses.
• All deserving families who have been left out of the beneficiary list will be included.
• Infrastructure projects funded by the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) will continue to be a focus.
• To foster local industry and innovation, mini industrial parks will be established under each local body to promote MSMEs.
• Cultural corridors, promoting inclusive and sustainable urbanization, will be expanded to more regions.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

1. Achieve universal health coverage at the primary level by converting 100% of primary health centres into family health centres with twice-daily outpatient facilities.
2. Implement measures to curb the consumption of drugs and liquor to promote healthy lifestyles.
3. Ensure access to quality essential healthcare services for all, including the registration of all bed-ridden patients on the National Health Mission’s digital grid for regular check-ups, medicine supply, and palliative care.
4. A “healthy aging” policy will be implemented for senior citizens, providing free medicines for lifestyle diseases and promoting their inclusion in social activities.
5. Rehabilitation centres for adult differently-abled persons will be established in all cities and blocks.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth & SDG 5: Gender Equality

• A target has been set to provide jobs for 20 lakh women over the next five years, aiming to increase female participation in the workforce and achieve gender equality.
• The Vijnana Keralam programme, implemented by Kudumbashree, has already provided jobs for over 80,000 women.
• The manifesto aims to reduce the state’s unemployment rate to half of the national average.
• The Ayyankali Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme will be expanded to more urban areas to promote full and productive employment.
• Gender budgeting will be further strengthened to ensure equitable resource allocation.
• More schemes will be implemented to promote entrepreneurship at the local level.

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, SDG 13: Climate Action & SDG 15: Life on Land

• Projects will be implemented for the environmentally sound management of waste, including 100% medical waste treatment, scientific composting of biodegradable waste, collection of construction waste, and septage treatment.
• To combat climate change, projects will be formulated under each local body, including the preparation of local heat action plans to tackle rising temperatures.
• Local area economic development will be promoted through sustainable projects in agriculture, fisheries, dairy, and animal husbandry sectors.
• Local body-level projects will be implemented to address human-animal conflicts, protecting terrestrial ecosystems and biodiversity.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 1: No Poverty

  The article explicitly states the manifesto’s commitment to “advancing its ongoing poverty eradication programme through measures to eliminate absolute poverty.” It highlights past achievements of “bringing 64,006 families out of extreme poverty” and promises to use a “micro-plan-based approach… to eradicate absolute poverty,” with a special focus on vulnerable families.

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  The manifesto promises to ensure “health care… for all.” Specific plans include increasing the number of family health centers to 100%, providing regular check-ups and medicine to bed-ridden patients, implementing a “healthy aging” policy with free medicines for senior citizens, and taking steps to “curb consumption of drugs and liquor.”

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  The article details a significant focus on women’s economic empowerment. It mentions a promise of “jobs for 20 lakh women over the next five years to increase the low level of women participation in salaried jobs” and notes that “over 80,000 women have been provided jobs” under an existing program. The commitment to strengthen “Gender budgeting” further reinforces this connection.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The goal to ensure “jobs… for all” is a central theme. The manifesto aims to “reduce the unemployment rate in the State to half of the national average,” expand the “Ayyankali Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme,” promote MSMEs through “mini industrial parks,” and implement schemes to “promote entrepreneurship at the local level.”

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  The article highlights policies aimed at supporting vulnerable groups. The poverty eradication project will “focus more on Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe families.” Furthermore, the plan includes setting up “Rehabilitation centres for adult differently abled persons” and implementing a “healthy aging” policy for senior citizens to ensure their social inclusion.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  The manifesto addresses both housing and waste management. It promises “housing for all,” citing the “construction of 4.71 lakh houses under the LIFE project” as a past achievement and committing to provide houses for families left out. It also outlines projects for “100% medical waste treatment, scientific composting of biodegradable waste,” and “septage treatment.”

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  The article directly mentions climate change, stating that “Projects will be formulated under each local body to address climate change.” A specific action mentioned is the preparation of a “Local heat action plan… to tackle the rise in temperature.”

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

SDG 1: No Poverty

• Target 1.1: Eradicate extreme poverty. The article’s central theme is the LDF’s commitment to “eliminate absolute poverty” and its past success in bringing “64,006 families out of extreme poverty.”
• Target 1.2: Reduce at least by half the proportion of people living in poverty in all its dimensions. The “micro-plan-based approach” to eradicate poverty, especially focusing on vulnerable groups like Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe families, aligns with reducing poverty according to national definitions.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• Target 3.5: Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse. This is directly addressed by the promise that “Steps to curb consumption of drugs and liquor will be taken.”
• Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage. The plan to increase primary health centers converted to family health centers to “100%,” provide regular check-ups and medicine to “two lakh bedridden patients,” and ensure free medicines for lifestyle diseases for senior citizens are all measures towards universal health coverage.

SDG 5: Gender Equality

• Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership in economic life. The promise of “jobs for 20 lakh women over the next five years” is a direct measure to increase women’s participation in the salaried workforce.
• Target 5.c: Adopt and strengthen sound policies for the promotion of gender equality. The commitment to further strengthen “Gender budgeting” is a specific policy tool mentioned to achieve this.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• Target 8.3: Promote policies that support decent job creation and entrepreneurship. This is reflected in the plans to set up “mini industrial parks under each local body” and implement “More schemes to promote entrepreneurship at the local level.”
• Target 8.5: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all. The goal to “reduce the unemployment rate,” expand the “Ayyankali Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme,” and create jobs for 20 lakh women contributes to this target.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

• Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of disability or other status. This is addressed through the specific focus on “Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe families,” the plan to set up “Rehabilitation centres for adult differently abled persons,” and the “healthy aging” policy for senior citizens.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• Target 11.1: Ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing. The manifesto promises “houses for the deserving families who have been left out” and references the “construction of 4.71 lakh houses under the LIFE project.”
• Target 11.6: Reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including waste management. This is directly addressed by the planned projects for “100% medical waste treatment, scientific composting of biodegradable waste… and septage treatment.”

SDG 13: Climate Action

• Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards. The commitment to formulate “Projects… to address climate change” and prepare a “Local heat action plan” directly supports building local-level resilience to climate impacts like rising temperatures.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

SDG 1: No Poverty

• Indicator: Number of families brought out of extreme poverty. The article provides a baseline figure of “64,006 families” already assisted, which can be used to track future progress.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• Indicator: Percentage of primary health centers converted to family health centers. The article states a clear goal to increase this from the “current 80% to 100%.”
• Indicator: Number of bed-ridden patients receiving services through the National Health Mission’s digital grid. The article mentions a current figure of “two lakh bedridden patients are registered,” which serves as a baseline for measuring coverage.

SDG 5: Gender Equality

• Indicator: Number of women provided with jobs. The manifesto sets a clear quantitative target of “20 lakh women over the next five years.” The article also mentions a past achievement of “80,000 women” under a specific program.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• Indicator: The state’s unemployment rate relative to the national average. The goal is to “reduce the unemployment rate in the State to half of the national average.”

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• Indicator: Number of houses constructed for the homeless. The article mentions a past achievement of “4.71 lakh houses” built, which can be used as a benchmark for future construction for families “who have been left out.”
• Indicator: Percentage of medical waste treated. The manifesto sets a clear target of “100% medical waste treatment.”

SDG 13: Climate Action

• Indicator: Number of local bodies with a formulated heat action plan. The promise to prepare a “Local heat action plan” implies that the existence and implementation of such plans can be tracked.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: thehindu.com