“Good Governance is When Doors Open at the Sound of Footsteps” – S.M. Vijayanand
Good governance is truly experienced by society not when one enters an office seeking service, but when one returns with satisfaction. Governance should function like doors that open at the sound of footsteps—that is what people expect from local governments, said former Chief Secretary S.M. Vijayanand.
He was inaugurating the two-day training program organized for those aspiring to contest in the upcoming local body elections, jointly conducted by the Institute for Sustainable Development and Governance (ISDG), Kerala Civil Society, and Christ University Nodal Office.
Though politics is part of development, there is no place for divisive politics in local governance, he said. Consensus-building is the real developmental politics here. Service should be delivered with a smile. Priority must be given to economic development rooted in social justice. To ensure that the queue for services remains free from political interference, officials, elected representatives, and civil society all share equal responsibility.
At the event, Vijayanand released the book “To Learn and Train to Become a Local Government Representative” by handing a copy to Dr. P.P. Balan, former Director of KILA.
The session was presided over by Kerala Civil Society Chief Coordinator John Joseph. Others who led the training included Local Self Government Department Superintending Engineer K.C. Subramanian, Dr. Aravindakshan Pillai, Christ University Nodal Office Coordinator Dr. Godwin, K.V. Anilkumar, and ISDG Program Coordinator Anilkumar P.Y.
The valedictory session and certificate distribution was held on October 1, led by senior advocate Prashant Bhushan.
