MP D V Sadananda Gowda has warned that the Taluk Executive Officers (EOs) will be held responsible for any retardation in the development of their respective taluks in the name of obstruction from the Forest department.

“If there are objections from the Forest department regarding the implementation of infrastructural projects, they should be sorted out quickly with mutual discussions,” he said.

He was chairing the District Vigilance and In-charge Committee meeting to review the progress of Central government sponsored schemes at Zilla Panchayat auditorium here on Tuesday.

“The EOs are being asked to submit a list of the projects halted due to objections from the Forest department. But they have neglected it till date,” he charged and asked them to submit fresh lists within the next one month.

“Forest officials also have their own problems as they have to abide by the law and a Supreme Court order. But they should not object the improvement of roads passing through the forests laid before 1980,” he said.

Mr Gowda said no infrastructural works could be carried out in any taluks of Dakshina Kannada without coming in touch with the forest, and hence the Forest officials should be liberal towards infrastructuaral development.

Housing schemes

District-in-Charge Minister B Nagaraj Shetty, who was present in the meet, and Mr Sadananda Gowda expressed their dissatisfaction towards the low progress achieved so far in the implementation of Ashraya, Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Awaz housing schemes.

 Brushing aside the clarifications of the EOs that many selected beneficiaries do not have proper land records, Mr Gowda and Mr Shetty said they should have gone for alternative routes to complete their targets.

“Don’t waste the money by returning it to the government. Have a waiting list of the deserving beneficiaries. If the documents of some of the selected beneficiaries are not proper, skip them for the year and select those in the waiting list. But fulfil the target,” they instructed the EOs.

The EOs also rued that they do not have sufficient sites to use for the housing schemes. The representatives of Army Corporation said though they are ready to carry out projects, they have not been assigned anything for the past few years, and they do not have funds too.

Zilla Panchayat President Sushma Janardhan, Chief Executive Officer A M Kunjappa and Deputy Commissioner M Maheshwar Rao were present in the meeting.