Kerala’s 15th Five-Year Plan for 2027–32 Prioritises Employment and Agricultural Revival

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Kerala’s 15th Five-Year Plan for 2027–32 will prioritise employment generation and agricultural revival, Revenue Minister A.P. Anil Kumar said on Friday. He was inaugurating a workshop organised by the State Planning Board in Kozhikode as part of the plan’s formulation. The Minister said the government would depart from the previous practice and gather ideas and suggestions through district-level consultations involving the public and people’s representatives.

Mr. Kumar said the objective was to evolve a development model for a ‘New Keralam’ that integrates economic growth, social justice, technological advancement and environmentally sustainable development. He noted that the State could no longer depend solely on foreign remittances and government employment, and the 15th Plan would accord priority to creating local employment opportunities under the leadership of local self-government institutions and promoting enterprises of various scales. “A strong revival of the agricultural sector is essential, and Keralam needs to address its production deficit compared with neighbouring States,” he added.

The Minister said Kerala was the only State that earmarked funds for panchayats as part of the State Budget. Local bodies should explore development opportunities beyond their plan funds and own funds, and ensure allocated funds were fully utilised within the stipulated time instead of postponing expenditure until the end of the financial year. Besides sub-plans for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, the present United Democratic Front government has also formulated a special scheme for fisherfolk. The 15th Plan would give special attention to women’s empowerment and increasing their participation in the workforce, Mr. Kumar said. The government had taken steps, including through new legislative initiatives such as ‘SARAL’, to ensure industrial investors could obtain all necessary clearances within a few days, he added.

What was the 12th Five-Year Plan and why did other states stop?

The 12th Five-Year Plan covered the period from 2012 to 2017 and was the last of the national Five-Year Plans formulated by the erstwhile Planning Commission. The Planning Commission was replaced by the NITI Aayog on 1 January 2015 through a Union Cabinet resolution. The centrally driven Five-Year Plan model ended after the 12th Plan period concluded. Most states subsequently aligned their planning processes with the new cooperative federalism framework of NITI Aayog and discontinued their own Five-Year Plans. Kerala chose to retain the Five-Year Plan approach through its State Planning Board, which was constituted in 1967 as an advisory body to guide the state’s development strategy.

Why does Kerala still have a Five-Year Plan?

Kerala has continued to use the Five-Year Plan approach even after other States abandoned the system following the 12th Plan. The Minister said the planning model had laid the foundation for the agricultural revolution, poverty eradication and industrial growth in the State.

What are the plan’s key priorities and challenges?

The plan responds to the need to reduce sole dependence on foreign remittances and government employment by creating local jobs and supporting enterprises of different scales. Agricultural revival addresses the State’s production deficit relative to neighbouring States. Women’s workforce participation links employment policy to social inclusion. The government has also formulated a special scheme for fisherfolk alongside existing Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe sub-plans. The Minister asked local bodies to ensure timely utilisation of allocated funds rather than concentrating expenditure at the end of the financial year.