'Give your best to help farmers'

District incharge minister Varthur Prakash has instructed officials of the departments of agriculture, horticulture and animal husbandry to give their best in a district where dairy farming, agriculture and horticulture are the mainstay.

He was speaking at the progress review meeting of the Zilla Panchayat on Tuesday. The minister said farmers should be able to get the benefits and the subsidies without any difficulty.

Officials should not succumb to any inducements or cause inconveniences to farmers while discharging their duties, he said.

Prakash asked the deputy director of the animal husbandry department to take steps so that the veterinarians stop the practice of taking money to visit the farmers’ place to treat the ailing livestock.

He took district health officer Dr H C Ramesh to task for recommending the shifting the primary health centre, to be constructed in Ammanallur in the taluk, to Huttur. The officer apologised later.

The minister said there are more instances of misuse of government grants in urban areas than in rural areas. Funds are released every year for painting work at the women’s college, but the work is never done. Only the engineer and contractor are aware of this and none else, said the minister.

Varthur warns officers 

District In-charge Minister R Varthur Prakash warned the district-level officers from neglecting their official responsibilities and directed them to put the grants to appropriate use.

He further directed the authorities concerned to blacklist a contractor who was responsible for the collapse of an anganwadi centre in Mavalli, Bangarpet taluk. One youth was injured in the collapse.

The minister was informed that a compound wall being built at a cost of Rs 2.60 lakh around a darga school at Clock Tower in the city, has been halted. Deputy Director of Public Instruction said that since a teacher has been found to have obtained the contract of the building, the work has been put off. 

“Social Welfare Department is the worst department in the district. The department officer is being favoured by a contract agency,” said the minister. He asked the officers to check fake bills provided by such agencies to the hostels against goods supplied.

Varthur Prakash asked the Health Officer Dr Ramesh how many of the HIV infected people have been cured.

Answering it, the officer said there are 4019 people infected with HIV. Out of them 1187 people are given ART treatment. Since 2006, 374 people are dead. Not satisfied with the aanswer Varthur again asked how many have recovered? The officer replied by saying it is not a curable disease.

‘Speed up Yeragol project’

The minister directed Venkatesh, Executive Engineer of the Karnataka Water Supply and Sewerage Board to complete Yeragol project which will give drinking water for Kolar, Malur, Bangarpet and villages on the way  and to take necessary actions to urge the cabinet to take decision to allot revenue land instead of forest land.

He advised the problem should be detailed to Chief Sectretary of the government, which will ensure smoot working of the project. The minister asked the KWSSB to work with committment and submit him the progress review report regularly.

Deputy Commissioner Manoj Kumar Meena, Zilla Panchayat president Manjula, Chief Excutive Officer N Shantappa, Kolar-KGF district superintndents K Tyagarajan and Devayyoti Ray were present.