Mangaluru: No driver, staff appointed for Pashu Sanjeevini ambulance

Ministers directed DK Deputy Commissioner Mullai Muhilan M P to look into the issue of Pashu Sanjeevini ambulance and submit a report.

Though nine veterinary ambulances under Pashu Sanjeevini have reached Dakshina Kannada (DK) district, it lacks drivers and required staff to provide veterinary healthcare services on the doorsteps of livestock owners.

Raising the issue during the KDP meeting chaired by District in-Charge Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, Speaker U T Khader sought to know why the staff was not appointed and the ambulance not put to use. The minister too took the officials to task for not appointing the staff.

Deputy Director of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services Dr Arun Kumar Shetty said the government in the past had handed over the maintenance of the ambulance to a private agency in the state, which failed to appoint staff. No grant has been released to the agency so far.

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There is a shortage of veterinary doctors in the district. No doctors have been appointed in the last five years, Khader said.

The Minister directed DK Deputy Commissioner Mullai Muhilan M P to look into the issue of Pashu Sanjeevini ambulance and submit a report.

On the shortage of fodder for cattle, MLA Rajesh Naik said that with the help of KMF and other milk societies, jowar can be cultivated in the areas that get submerged. As it’s a three months crop, it can be cultivated after the rain recedes. Responding to this, Rao directed the Deputy Director of Animal Husbandry to explore the possibility after consulting the MLA and identifying the land for the same.

The official said that the district has 2,52, 401 cattle as per the 20th cattle survey conducted in 2018- 19. A total of 2.35 lakh cattle (calves are not included) were vaccinated for foot and mouth
disease.

Faecal sludge treatment plants

The officials informed the meeting that a detailed project report for the Faecal sludge treatment plants at Kolnadu, Charmadi, Nekkiladi, Kolthige, Panja and Alankaru has been submitted to the state government for approval.

The Minister directed officials to identify the land and submit a DPR for the Faecal sludge treatment plants to be set up in Mulki, Moodbidri, Ullal and Mangaluru taluk within a month.

Housing projects

The officials said that 7,900 houses were sanctioned under Basava Vasathi and Dr B R Ambedkar Rural Housing projects. Of which, 2,381 houses have been completed and 1,224 beneficiaries have not started the work on the houses. To which, Speaker U T Khader said all the taluk panchayat Executive Officers should write to the PDOs that if they fail to start the work on the houses, their names will be blocked in the Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation
website.

Forest fire

DCF Dr Dinesh Kumar said forest fires had occurred at 60 locations in the district during the year and have affected over 204 hectares of land. Steps have been taken to sow seeds in steep slope areas where forest fire damaged the vegetation. Fruit -bearing plants will be developed in the nursery for planting in the affected areas, he added.

MLA Harish Poonja alleged that sanctioned work on fencing to check the elephant menace in Belthangady was shifted to other locations. DCF reacted to this by saying that RFO had submitted a report that tentacle fencing work was not feasible at the identified site and hence, the work was shifted.

The Minister directed the Deputy Commissioner to look into the issue.