The Kerala Cabinet on Wednesday decided to create a Business Policy and Process Re-engineering Cell at the Secretariat designed to foster coordination among government departments and avoid delays in the implementation of projects.

The cell, under the General Administration Department, is part of the UDF government’s efforts to take the State towards data-driven governance, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan said at a post-Cabinet press briefing.

The new arrangement is aimed at streamlining coordination among departments and enabling the offices of the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary to have a clear idea about the position of government files and projects, he said.

Government decisions were being delayed on account of slow file movement and the uncertainties over the status of government files. Coordination will be ensured in the case of projects also, he said. The projects underway across Kerala under various departments will be mapped to enable the monitoring of their status.

The government intends to avoid delays in project implementation by creating project protocols to ensure their timely completion. A preliminary examination shows that the exchequer is losing crore of rupees due to the delays in project implementation. Such delays are an important cause for leakages from the treasury, he said.

“A ₹100 crore project meant to be completed in two years does not get completed even after 10 years. The estimates would have risen from ₹100 crore to ₹1,000 crore by then on account of rate changes and problems related to the contractor,” he said.

Padma Awards nominees

Meanwhile, the Cabinet has approved the list of the State government’s nominees for the 2027 Padma Awards which will be handed over to the Union Home Ministry, Mr. Satheesan said. It is not customary to disclose the names at this point, he said.