Page 280 - economic review

INFRASTRUCTURE252

(ii) Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA)

5.164 Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) is an autonomous body constituted under the
Local Self Government Department of the Government of Kerala. The GCDA aims at formulating
and implementing various urban development schemes and projects for the welfare of the general
public in the area coming under its jurisdiction. The jurisdiction of this authority covers an area of 732
sq.kms consisting of Cochin Corporation, 9 Municipalities and 29 Panchayaths. GCDA activities are
generally non-remunerative and welfare oriented public utility services benefiting the urban residents
and neighbouring population. Government have recently revived the Development Authorities of
Thrissur, Kozhikode and Kollam. The details of major programmes under taken by GCDA are given
in Appendix 5.52.

5.165 The financial achievements of major schemes implemented under Urban Development Sector
are given in Appendix 5.53

Section 4
Communication Infrastructure

P ostal Network of Kerala

5.166 Indian postal system is the largest in the World with a network of about 1.55 lakh Post
Offices, of which 1.39 lakh (89.78 %) were in rural areas and 15826 (10.22%) in urban in the country.
The Postal network consists of four categories of Post Offices namely, Head Post Offices, Sub Post
Offices, Extra Departmental Sub Post Offices and Extra Departmental Branch Post Offices.

5.167 Kerala Postal circle includes the entire State of Kerala, the Union Territory of Lakshadweep
and Mahe under the Union Territory of Puducherry. Kerala is the only postal circle where every
village has at least one post office. There are 5067 post offices in the circle, of which 1508 are
Departmental post offices and 3559 Extra Departmental post offices. On an average each post
office in the State serves an area of 7.69 Sq.km and a population of 6607 as against the national
average of 21.21 sq.km and a population of 7175 people. 83 percent of the post offices are in the
rural areas. Major Activities of Kerala Postal Circle is given in Box 5.10. More details are available in
the Appendix 5.54 , 5.55, 5.56 and 5.57.

Box 5.10
Major Activities of Kerala Postal Circle during 2013-14 up to 30.09. 2014

• All the 1508 departmental post offices in the Circle are computerised
• Facility to register the complaints on the web and track the progress till it is finally settled
• Providing new e based and value added services
• e Post facilities in 1098 Post Offices
• Introduction of World Net Express Service (WNX) to connect 220 countries
• eMO and iMO and e- payment services in 1508 Post Offices
• Introduction of parcel products of India - “Express Parcel” and “Business Parcel”
• Introduction of International Speed Post or EMS - a facility available from India to 99

countries
• Instant Money Order services in 1506 Post Offices.
• Facility for retailing air and rail ticketing to customers form 177 Post Offices
• Introuction of Mobile Money Remittance service in 18 selected Post Offices
• “My Stamp” facility available at Calicut and Thiruvananthapuram Philatelic Bureaux.

Kerala State Planning Board