Drinking water scheme roils Zilla Panchayat meeting

Udupi Zilla Panchayath Member Katpadi Shankar Poojary has threatened to dissent against multi village drinking water scheme proposed in the villages including Mulur, Mallaru, Kaup, Uliyargoli and Majur respectively.

Raising the issue in the zilla panchayath general body meeting here on Tuesday, he expressed dissatisfaction over the project for not including nine villages which comprises  Kurklau, Marne, Belle Kattingeri, Yenagudde among others. He objected to the proposal, asserting that the proposed project goes by Kurkalu River and the people in the surrounding area are deprived of the benefit.

He alleged that the project utilises the natural resources surrounding Udyavara. However, injustice is meted to the people in the area by offering comfort to the people in the neighbourhood at the cost of their loss. He vehemently added that the project at any cost would not be allowed.

 The other issue that rocked the floor of the house was deemed forest and confusion over land earmarked for offering houses to homeless needy.

Member Ananth Muwadi sought clarification over number of applications received under Akrama-Sakrama and 94 C. Responding to the query in charge AC Yogeshwar said under 94 A as many as 56,358 applications were received  and 43,834 were approved.

While under 94B as many as 58,453 applications were received, of which 17,563 applications were approved.

He said under 94C, 1,850 application were received in Udupi taluk, of which 27 are denotified.

While in Kaup, as many as 3,619 application were received, 172 are approved for denotification. In Karkala, 5,750 applications were received, of which 57 are approved for denotification, while 176 are rejected, he added.

Guidance value

He said the delay is owing to the government guidelines on demanding guidance value following confusions in valuation. He said the drive for PODI would be taken up shortly in the district.

Muwadi alleged that the survey is being taken up assuring false promises to the people, however, sittings are not held in connection with distributing land to homeless needy.

Responding to the queries by the member, ACF said separate meetings are held and survey is conducted by the village accountant and local forest guards. The report on survey is already submitted to the committee headed by the Deputy Commissioner.

It is expected that almost 80 percent of the deemed forest would be eliminated in the district under deemed forest category.

However, the issue should be discussed in the State cabinet, he added. Retorting to another query over ration cards, Yogeshwar said as many as 1,61,022 BPL cards were distributed last year.

23,476 applications are received for new ration cards, of which 10,874 are incomplete applications.

He said another 17,789 ration cards are pending for printing in taluk offices and concerned are instructed to carry out the works immediately. There was stringent opposition to the ban on sand mining activities in the district by the members.

The members alleged that the construction works are massively affected.  The official said the ban is imposed by the State level environment clearance committee as it would affect the fish breeding in the CRZ area.

The Deputy Commissioner has instructed the department official to issue notification by July 15 and the works would be carried out by the PWD, she said. The members alleged that online application for scholarship is a blunder wherein the students have to undergo lots of confusions.

The members also alleged over the security issues bothering the girls’ hostels.