Thiruvananthapuram: International auditor and professional service company KPMG, who has been appointed “partner consultant” for Rebuild Kerala Initiative, will help the Government in getting the concurrence of other consultants and also prepare a framework for its future engagement as a project management consultant.
An order issued by Planning and Economic Affairs Additional Chief Secretary Vishwas Mehta says KPMG had evinced interest in taking up water bodies in Alappuzha and the fishermen community relocation. The Government will allocate suitable areas to the KPMG and other consultants based on their strengths and specific orders will be issued in this regard separately.
KPMG will map other consultants based on the depth of their functional competence and earmarked allotted area.
The firm will work out the intervention areas to be focused, set out contours of each of the above and set the terms for reference for other consultants.
Identified intervention areas:
Reckoning Kerala as a single geography, an outline will be worked out for developing Ernaklam-Kochi as the central business district of the region to accelerate the pace of economic development in city. This may also explore linkages to parts of Alappuzha, which could form a larger beneficiary catchment area.
A programme for sustainable use of the entire water body network in Alappuzha including the Vembanad lake, Kuttanad and the canal system of Alappuzha for agriculture, drinking water, irrigation and tourism.
Iconic projects of Rebuild Kerala in all 14 districts in which the NRIs (especially of Kerala origin) contribute through a crowd-funding programme.
A comprehensive development plan for Thiruvananthapuram based on the already initiated projects, upon detailed local need assessment
A similar development plan for Kozhikode depending upon the detailed local need assessment.
A framework for environmentally sustainable development in Wayanad and Idukki, including resettlement of people from landslide-prone/geo-sensitive areas
Considering yeoman service provided by fishermen, a comprehensive rehabilitation plan for the fishermen habitation. The programme envisages relocating dwelling units in the buffer zone identified, based on the prior experiences with respect to erosion which had resulted in property damage to landward side of the coastal road. This will be a distinct departure from the practice followed so far in Kerala of constructing seawalls and continuing to make fishermen vulnerable to sea erosion.
KPMG will also work closely with the consultants to ensure that the outcome document is as per Government’s expectations and create an appraisal framework for the proposals by other consultants.
KPMG is one of the leading providers of risk, financial and business advisory services and corporate governance. Dr Mehta’s order says that since Mr. Arun M. Kumar, chairman and CEO of KPMG, is a member of the State Government Digital Advisory Board and hails from Kerala, his direct involvement would benefit the State.
