JOIN US70-year old quarters to get new lease of life
Thalamakki Raitha Mathu Grahaka Hitharakshana Vedike members have finally succeeded in getting approval for the Rs 28 lakh project for repair of the quarters of 24 revenue department employees.
These houses had not seen any maintenance works over the last seven decades.
These 24 quarters in Balagadi are on the verge of collapse and the people living in these houses have to constantly live under fear of a mishap. Situation gets worse during rainy season when the residents have to live inside the house with their umbrellas open.
Though the revenue employees did request the district administration from time to time to allocate funds for the repair of the houses, it had always fallen on deaf ears.
Finally Revenue Department Employees’ Association member Shyam Nayak approached Talamakki Raitha Mathu Grahaka Hithrakshana Samiti Convener Subrahmanya and narated the problems of the residents of the 24 quarters.
The Taluk Panchayat, in 2009 had resolved to take steps to repair the houses, during one of the review meetings. In this regard, Public Works Department had even submitted a proposal of Rs 2 lakh.
The entire project was soon forgotten. Samiti had to take up the matter by applying for information under Right to Information Act and started questioning the District and Taluk level officials about the project.
When the officials were forced to be answerable, they started forwarding the files to higher officials. Finally the file reached Government Under Secretary. Here the file started hogging dust again.
Samiti went up to Information Commission and filed a complaint.
Taking note of this, Under Secretary Mrithyunjaya Murthy approved the plan on 05-05-2011.
Now, the quarters are getting facelift under PWD Engineer Ranganath.The quarters were built by the British in 1940.