Thiruvananthapuram: The state govt has launched the web platform, Bhoomi, a public-private-social partnership (PPSP) initiative aimed at making Wayanad a model for sustainable development by taking the district from carbon-neutral status to a climate-positive position.Chief minister V D Satheesan inaugurated the web platform on Thursday in the presence of agriculture minister T Sidhique. The initiative is intended to establish a collaborative mechanism to coordinate development activities across various sectors in Wayanad, which has been selected as a district requiring special attention for development.Bhoomi is being launched as a district development platform based on the development vision of Sidhique and with the guidance of Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi. Actor Mohanlal-led ViswaSanthi Foundation is one of the major partners of the initiative.The platform will bring together govt departments, CSR partners, corporates, voluntary organisations, academic institutions, experts and local communities. It will facilitate the identification of development projects, mobilisation of financial support, implementation of projects and coordination and monitoring of their progress.Agriculture, education, skill development, tribal and social development, climate resilience, environmental protection, sustainable tourism, technology, entrepreneurship and the empowerment of women and youth will be among the priority areas. Disaster management will also be covered under the initiative.As part of the year-long Bhoomi programme, a Bhoomi Conclave will be held in Wayanad on Dec 19 and 20. Govt representatives, corporate and CSR sector leaders, development organisations, academics, social workers, experts from various fields and elected representatives will attend the conclave.The conclave will focus on identifying development-related challenges, presenting successful models and solutions and building partnerships across sectors for long-term development.A Wayanad Unity Run marathon will also be organised on Dec 20 as part of the conclave, conveying a message of collective responsibility and social progress. Bhoomi’s broader objective is to develop a sustainable development model for district-level development through cooperation among different sectors, which can also be replicated in other regions.
