RURAL DEVELOPMENT


There are 12 development blocks in the district and they are Parassala, Perumkadavila, Athiyanoor, Nemom, Thiruvananthapuram Rural, Kazhakuttom, Vellanad, Nedumangad, Vamanapuram, Kilimanoor, Chirayinkeezhu and Varkala. The District Rural Development Agency co-ordinates the work in these blocks.

Several welfare schemes like Swarna Jayanthi Grama Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) Samboorna Grama Rozgar Yojana (SGRY), Total Sanitation Scheme (TSS), Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF), Prime Minister’s Grama Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), Indira Awaz Yojana (IAY) etc.  are carried out in the blocks.

SOCIAL WELFARE

Social Welfare Schemes can be broadly classified into; welfare of the handicapped, welfare of women and children, correctional services and social security. The child welfare programmes implemented are health care, pre-school education and nutrition. In Thiruvananthapuram district there are five welfare institutions; one after-care hostel, one after-care home, one home for physically handicapped women, one home for mentally retarded children and one vocational care centre for the physically handicapped.

Units of Integrated child Development Schemes are functioning at 11 centres. They are Chakkai, Panavila, Vattiyoorkavu, Athiyannor, Perumkadavila, Vamanapuram, Kazhakuttom, Chirayinkeezhu, Kilimanoor, Nemon and Varkala.

There are 2250 ‘Anganwadis’ functioning under the ICDS projects. The Urban Special Nutrition Programme covers the urban areas of Thiruvananthapuram, Nedumangad, Attingal and Neyyattinkara.

Institutions like Special Home, Abalamandiram, After-care Home, Vocational Training Centre for Women and the State Institute of Mentally Handicapped, are functioning under the Social Welfare Department.

There are 30 crèches to look after children below three years of age and the Day-Care Centres located at Ottoor, Poomkulam and Poovar, look after the children of fisher folk and coir workers.

Widows, spinsters and wives of convicts are provided with grants for finding self employment. Students upto 7^th standard are given free noon-meals in schools.