Corporate social responsibility venture entering politics

Threatening major political parties in Kerala, Twenty20 Kizhakkambalam, a corporate social responsibility venture by a leading cloth manufacturing company Anna-Kitex Group, is entering the political arena by fielding its own candidates in the Kizhakkambalam panchayat in the ensuing local bodies elections.

Our aim is to turn Kizhakkamblam panchayat into a role model panchyant among the 272000 panchayats in the country by 2020 through collective efforts, Twenty20 Kizhakkambalam chief coordination Sabu Jacob said, addressing a meet-the-press programme of the press club here today.

To achieve the goal, the election campaign would be based on its 20-points election manifesto, including proving complete wi-fi and internet facilities and making the panchayat a high-tech city, encourage agriculture, to make the panchayat a drug and smoke free place, wipe out poverty by providing consumer goods at cheap rates, equal justice should be made to all people and garbage-free panchayat.

Asked about why the social corporate movements entering to power politics to save the people, Mr Sabu said that we are facing lot of problems in implements projects for the welfare of the people without power in our hands and if we have power, we can introduce developments with our ideas, using funds from corporate institutions.

He also suggested that leading companies should follow his path by utilising their funds and adopt each panchayats.

He also said that the selection of the candidates were based on certain criteria, including 70 per cent of them should be below 50 years, qualifications of the candidates should be at least degree, they do never use smoke or liquor, they should be taking care of their aged parents, they should be god fearing people and there would not be any criminal back ground.

Besides this, he claimed that for the first time in the country, the candidates would distribute signed letter to each voters informing that if two third of people expressed their dissatisfaction over the function of the elected candidates, he or she will resign on his or her own, he added.

Asked about the reaction of other political parties, he said his candidates were on one side and the leading political parties were on other side.

Pointing out that during the last two years his organisations had undertook many development and welfare measures to the people in the panchayats, he said this would be a referendum of his initiatives, and if the people did not elect their candidates, he would give up the CSR there for ever.

-GGD