Health and Education Standing Committee

Health and Education Standing Committee: Leads public health, sanitation, drinking water supply, and the operation of schools under the jurisdiction of the Panchayat.

Standing Committees (Sections 162, 162A) Under the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act, 1994, standing committees exist in every Panchayat as outlined below. Standing committees serve as the supporting institutional framework for the Panchayat to execute its duties across the development, welfare, and infrastructure sectors effectively, efficiently, and in a time-bound manner.

Before taking a decision on any subject, the Panchayat must scrutinize and examine it in detail. This preliminary scrutiny must be carried out first by the respective standing committee. Matters should be included in the Panchayat meeting's agenda only after deliberations and decisions are reached in the standing committee meeting. Once the Panchayat adopts a resolution on an agenda item, the concerned standing committee is also responsible for ensuring its efficient implementation. Resolutions passed by a standing committee must be placed before the next meeting of the Panchayat. The Panchayat holds the power to modify them if necessary. The Secretary must attend all standing committee meetings and make the necessary arrangements to record minutes and decisions.

Structure of the Standing Committee

  • Elected representatives are the sole members of standing committees. Every elected member—except the President and Vice President—is an elected member of a standing committee.
  • A member cannot serve on more than one standing committee.
  • Each standing committee must compulsorily include at least one woman member.
  • The President serves as an ex-officio member without voting rights in all standing committees. However, the Vice President serves as an ex-officio member with voting rights and acts as the Chairperson of the Finance Standing Committee (Section 162(6)).

Powers and Responsibilities of Standing Committees All elected representatives are assigned to standing committees to distribute the responsibilities and duties of the Panchayat among all members. The ultimate responsibility lies with the Panchayat as a whole, not with any single individual or committee. Several mechanisms are embedded within the administrative framework to execute these responsibilities, the most crucial being the standing committees.

All responsibilities vested in the Panchayat are divided among the various standing committees. Consequently, the Panchayat exercises its functions through these committees. Standing committees are not autonomous bodies, nor do they possess independent executive authority. Good governance, public participation, and decentralization are achieved when each standing committee performs the statutory duties assigned on behalf of the Panchayat.

All decisions made by standing committees must be presented at the subsequent Panchayat meeting. The Panchayat retains the authority to amend these decisions if required (Kerala Panchayat Raj Act, 1994, Section 162A(3)).

Meetings of Standing Committees (The Kerala Panchayat Raj [Standing Committee] Rules, 2000)

  • Committees must convene at least once a month.
  • Meetings must be held at the Panchayat office on the date and time fixed by the Chairperson.
  • The respective standing committee must consider matters related strictly to the Panchayat's statutory responsibilities. If different standing committees make conflicting decisions on the same issue, the matter must be referred to the Panchayat for resolution.
  • The quorum for a meeting is three. However, if the total number of voting members is four or fewer, the quorum is two.
  • Decisions on agenda items are determined by a majority vote of the members present.
  • The Chairperson holds a casting vote in the event of a tie.
  • The date of the meeting and the agenda items must be communicated to the President (as an ex-officio member) and published on the notice board.
  • A decision of a standing committee may be amended or revoked only through a resolution supported by more than half of the sanctioned strength of the committee at a specially convened meeting. Such amendments must be executed within three months.

Standing committees play a pivotal role in local governance. Local administration becomes effective, rational, and scientific only when standing committees carry out their assigned duties efficiently.

Subjects Under the Purview of the Health and Education Standing Committee Public health, sanitation, supply of clean drinking water, drainage, environment, education, arts, culture, and recreation.

Members of the Health and Education Standing Committee

  • Chairperson: Smt. Shiji Surendran (Member, Ward 9 – ITC)
  • Members:
    • Sri. Georgekutty Thannivelil (Member, Ward 7 – Adakkathode)
    • Smt. Mythili Ramanan (Member, Ward 12 – Manjalamparam)