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Sri. Jacob Easow
Secretary
Sri. Jacob Easow is the Secretary of the Society for ‘Our Space’.
Formerly he was Additional Chief Town Planner, Department of Town
and Country Planning, Government of Kerala.
He is a graduate in civil engineering from Government Engineering
College, Thrissur, Kerala and obtained Master of Urban and Regional
Planning from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi. He
served Government of Kerala for 29 years in various capacities like
District Town Planner (13 years), Secretary Development Authorities,
Secretary District Tourism Promotion Council, Senior Town Planner,
Additional Chief Town Planner, etc. He took the initiative to design
an innovative methodology for local and district planning (Local
Development Plan and Integrated District Development Plan) in line
with the 73rd and 74the Constitution Amendment of India
and piloted the Kollam District Plan, a model that was later
replicated in 4 more districts in Kerala. He formulated a scheme
for preparation of Development Plan for all towns in Kerala. Nearly
25 developments plans were completed under the scheme in a short
span of two and half years.
Educational Qualifications
|
Qualification |
College |
University/Board |
|
Master
in Urban & Regional Planning |
School
of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi |
School
of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi |
|
B.Sc (Engg)
in Civil Engineering |
Government Engineering College, Trichur |
Cochin
University |
Positions Held
v
Additional Chief Town Planner, Government of Kerala
v
Head of
Planning & Development Wing of Department of Town and Country
Planning
v
Head of
the State Project Cell for the Project of Preparation of Local
Development Plan (LDP)-Integrated District Development Plan (IDDP)
and State Perspective Plan (SPP).
v
Head of
the Project Cell for the Scheme of Preparation of Urban Development
Plans.
Experiences
1.
One
year as Site Engineer in Kerala State Construction Corporation.
2.
Two
years as Design Engineer in Central Electricity Authority,
Government of
India.
3.
28
years in Department of Town and Country Planning, Government of
Kerala – of this, 13 years as District Town Planner, 6 ½ years as
Senior Town Planner and half an year as Additional Chief Town
Planner.
Achievements
1.
Developed an innovative methodology for Local and
District Planning in line with the 73rd & 74th
Constitution Amendments.
Using this
methodology an Integrated District Development Plan (IDDP) for
Kollam District and Local Development Plans (LDP) for selected
Municipalities and Village Panchayats in the district have been
prepared successfully as a pilot project. Hand Book for the
Preparation of IDDP and LDP, Manual for Spatial Analysis, series of
handouts and presentations etc were prepared enabling successful
implementation of the project. Extensive training programmes to
elected representatives, officials, professionals, resource persons,
member of Civil Society Groups and other stake holders of the
project were conducted as part of preparation of Plans. The success
of this experiment has prompted the State Government to extend it to
all districts in the state of Kerala. It was appreciated and
recommended by Planning Commission, Government of India, Controller
and Auditor General of India, and various committees like the
Committee for Evaluation of Decentralized Planning and Development,
Government of Kerala.
This initiative
was short listed for final selection for the Prime Minister’s Award
for Excellence in Public Administration in 2010 and I was the head
of group considered for the Award.
2.
Formulated a Scheme of preparation of Development
Plan for all towns in Kerala. Developed various toolkits, handouts,
training materials etc including methodology of plan preparation for
the scheme. Thus 25 development plans were completed under me in
this Scheme in a short span of 2
½
years.
3.
Directly involved in the Preparation of
Development/Master Plans for major urban centers like
Thiruvananthapuram City, Kollam urban region, Pathanamthitta town,
Paravur
Town, Adoor town, Thiruvalla town and in vetting and finalisation of
Development Plans of cities/towns of Kozhikode, Vadakara, Palakkad,
Kalpetta, Kayamkulam, Muvattupuzha,
North Paravur and Kothamangalam. Also involved in vetting and
finalisation of Development Plans of Village Panchayats namely
Kozhenchery, Pooyappally, Poothakulam, Pattazhy, Chavara,
Thekkumbhagam, Vellinalloor, Perinad, Sooranad, Panayam, Chirakkara
and Elanad.
4.
Formulated a methodology for District
Urbanisation Report (DUR) and District Spatial Plan (DSP) and thus
prepared 11 DURs and 2 DSPs for various districts in Kerala. State
Urbanisation Report (SUR) was also prepared and published.
5.
Introduced and hosted Web GIS (Internet Map
Server) for the Department – first (2007) of its kind developed by a
Government Department in
India.
6.
Formulated model zoning regulations for Kerala.
7.
Designed an action plan for variation of Town
Planning Schemes in Kerala.
8.
Formulated a project K.D.A. Commercial Estate at
Andamukkam, Kollam (1993). This project is proposed to be
implemented as a joint venture programme of the Development
Authority with private sector involvement.
9.
Key role in the forest land transfer for
Idukki Head
Quarter Township which was pending for more than 15 years.
10.
Prepared various Detailed Town Planning Schemes
and Projects.
11.
Sanctioning process of various Town Planning
Schemes and Plans.
12.
Acted as member of various state level and
department level committees such as
§
Task Force of Town and Country Planning
Department for the Administrative Reforms Committee
§
Initiative Owner on Spatial Planning under
Modernising Government Programme, on ADB initiative.
§
State Level Technical Advisory Group of
Decentralised Planning
§
Task Force for the preparation
Draft Town and
Country Planning Bill.
Major Publications
1.
“An Innovative Experiment for the Preparation of
Development Plans: Kerala Initiative” Spatio-Economic Development
Record (Referred Journal); Vol.12 No.3 May-June 2005, Pp 6-15.
2.
Presented a paper “Mapping of Urban Poor in
Kerala: Approaches in Regional and Local Plans” in the British
Academy Disseminations Event on “Developing a Placed – based
Understanding of Poverty” on
7th
September 2011 at University of Dundee,
Scotland, U.K.
3.
An article “District Planning in
India” was
published in Manorama Year Book 2012.
4.
An article “Town Planning” was published in
Manorama Year Book 2007, pp 601-604.
5.
“Effective Land Use Planning Through Integrated
District and Local Plans: Model from Kollam, Kerala” paper presented
in the workshop on “Country Planning/National Land Use Policy” on 19th
May, 2011 at New Delhi organized by Department of Land Resources,
Government of India.
6.
“Integrated District Development Planning: the
Kollam Experience” paper presented in the workshop on “Local
Governance and Decentralised Service Delivery in the 12th
Five Year Plan” on 25th August, 2011 at New Delhi
organized by the world Bank.
7.
Presented the IDDP Model of District Planning, at
the workshop conducted by SIRPP, West Bengal on the methodology on
District Planning (2nd June 2011).
8.
Presented Methodology of IDDP before the
Rajasthan Delegation to Kerala on
17th
May 2012 at KILA, Thrissur organized by the
Institute of
Social Science,
New Delhi.
9.
‘District Planning Methodology, A Model from
Kollam District, Kerala’ Paper presented in the Inter National
Conference on International Conference on ‘District Planning
Methodology and Agenda for Action’, jointly organised by the
Institute of Social Sciences, New Delhi and the District Planning
Committee of Kollam, with the support of Planning Commission,
Government of Kerala and UNDP, on 28-29, August, 2009, Kollam.
10.
Presented a paper on “Decentralised Planning Process and Spatial
Planning – experience from Kerala” in the workshop on Integrated
District Planning on
28th
October 2009 organised by SIRD, Assam at Guwahati.
11.
Presented a paper on “District Spatial Planning: Lessons from a
Pilot Project in Kollam District of Kerala” paper presented in the
workshop on Integrated District Planning at Simla on 21st
July 2009 organised by Govt. of Himachal Pradesh.
12.
“District Regional Development Plan: Scope and Methodology”,
Technical Paper (Referred Journal), 57th National Town &
Country Planners’ Congress held at
Goa, Institute of
Town Planners’ India. (2009) Pp 54-64.
13.
Presented a paper on “Integration of District Plan and Urban Plans”
in the Workshop on Regional Planning organized by National Technical
Advisory Group of JnNURM at
New Delhi on 9th
May, 2009.
14.
“Integration of Local and District Development Plans: An Example
from Kollam District, Kerala”, Workshop on Comprehensive Development
Planning for Cities in Rajasthan (June 2008),
India,
USP.
15.
“Effective
Land Use Planning Through Integrated District Development Plan and
Local Development Plan”, National Seminar on Spatial Technologies of
Land Use Planning (April 2008), Kerala State Land Use Board.
16.
“Sustainable Development of Habitat: Agenda of Actions in Planning
Context” (November 2008), Keynote address on the National Conference
on Technological Trends, Department of Architecture, College of
Engineering, Trivandrum, Kerala.
17.
“A
Paradigm in Local and District Plans Preparation Process”,
Proceedings of the 55th National Town and Country
Planners’ Congress, Institute of Town Planners’, India (2007),
pp231-242.
18.
“Towards District and Local Planning – A Kerala Initiative”, opening
paper in the plenary session of the International Seminar held at
Thiruvananthapuram on ‘Kerala – People’s Plan Revisited’ during 14th
– 15th, December 2007.
19.
“Local
and District Plans through Participatory Approach: A Framework for
Protection of Coastal Areas” National Seminar on ‘Combating Coastal
Challenges’ during 7th – 8th, November, 2007
organised by Citizen Consumer and civic Action Group (CAG) Chennai.
20.
“Sustainable Development of Urban Habitat: Agenda of Actions in
Planning Context” National Seminar on Sustainable Urban Habitat
(October 2003) Department of Civil Engineering,
TKM
College
of Engineering, Kollam, Kerala.
21.
“Preparation of Urban Development Plans in
Kerala State”,
National Seminar on Emerging Trends in Planning (November 2000),
Department of Architecture T.K.M. College of Engineering, Kollam,
Kerala.
22.
“Human
Settlement Pattern of Kerala and Environment Issues”, Seminar on
Environmental Problems of Kerala (December 1992), Centre for Water
Resources Development and Management (CWRDM), Kerala.
23.
“Spatial Planning: An Integrated Approach for Protection of
Environmental Impacts”, Seminar on Environmental Protection of
Kerala, (November 1991), Centre for Water Resource Development and
Management (CWRDM), Kerala.
24.
“Nagara
Palika Niyamavum Vikenthreekaranavum” (Municipal Law and
Decentralization) (1994), booklet, The Institute of Town Planners,
India,
Kerala Regional Chapter.
25.
“Cochin
Structural Plan: A Critical Review” (May 1990), News Letter, the
Institute of Town Planners, India, Kerala Regional Chapter.
26.
“Jilla
Councilum Vikasana Aasuthranavum” (District Council and
Development Planning), Mathrubhumi Daily,
September 21,
1990.
27.
“Asanthulitha
Vikasanam Enthukondu?” (Unbalanced Development: Why?)
Mathrubhumi Daily,
December 12,
1990.
28.
“Malayora
Vikasana Authoritiyekurichu” (On Hill Area Development
Authority…), Deepika Daily,
July 02, 1995.
Sri. Jacob Easow can be contacted at:
Valiaparampil, TKM College P.O, Kollam -5 PIN 691005
5A Vimson Serene Apartments, Pongumoodu,
Medical College
PO, Thiruvananthapuram.
Phone : +91-9446573220
E-mail :
jacobeasow@gmail.com
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