'Four PHCs shifted from district'

Speaking at ZP general body meeting, he said as many as five PHCs were sanctioned in the year 2005 to the district, of which, the one situated at Karje is functioning and the remaining four have been shifted to other parts in the state. The nurses have been transferred to Mysore as there were few delivery cases reported in PHCs in the district.

These nurses were sanctioned under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scheme, he added.Alleging that Nanjundappa report was the main reason for getting less funds allocations and shifting of the existing programmes, Karkala MLA Gopal Bhandary said “the issue needs attention as this is a serious matter. We are snatched away from many benefits for being labelled as developed district. Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Kodagu are the victims of the report.

We don’t get enough funds and sanctioned beneficiary programmes are shifted to other areas. We should demand our rights. We should ask the government to sanction whatever funds and programmes allotted to the district under various schemes,” he added.

The target under the Suvarna Bhoomi Yojana for the district was 14,072. In this new initiative of the government, an eligible farmer will get the financial assistance of Rs 10,000 in two installments under various categories like organic farming, horticulture, silk farming, bio-gas, agriculture and inland fishing. As many as 11,499 applications have been received in the district, said an official.

The other issue discussed in the meeting was launching of an afforestation drive along with the National Highway to increase the green cover.