Minister inspects UGD repair

Takes CMC officers to task for negligence of road, market

A surprise awaited the citizens near Ammavaripet Circle on Thursday morning.
They had waited for several months for the City Municipal Council officers to get the opening to an underground drain opposite the Nallagangamma Temple near the Circle repaired.

It seemed like the day would never come when they could use the road without falling into the pit.

Sudden visit

But the news of a visit by the District in-charge Minister Varthur Prakash on Thursday suddenly change things.

Varthur came to Ammavaripet Circle at around 6 am. Upset about the condition of the drain cover, the minister took the CMC officers to task. He also called R Shalini, the CMC commissioner, to the place immediately and told her to have a chamber set up around the opening.

A sucking machine was brought to clean the drain. Also, the stones surrounding the drain cover were removed using an earthmover.

Funds for repair

Varthur ordered Shalini to release money to repair the drain right away. “Ensure the reparation is completed today itself,” he told her and warned of strict action if the instruction was not followed to the T.

He also told Shalini to write to the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Sewerage Board to provide a new connection between MB Road and Mekke Circle, to replace the faulty line.

Varthur then walked till Bamboo Bazaar. Finding the garbage untouched, he scolded the commissioner and contractors for the mismanagement.

Vice-president of the CMC Khaleel, member V Prakash, C Somashekhar, former president C Raghuram and engineers Sampath, Ravi and Srinivas were present.

Drought relief

Addressing a meeting of officers at the Travellers’ Bungalow later in the day, Varthur said the district would get Rs five crore as drought relief, as promised by the Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda recently.

“Shortage of water is on the rise in urban areas. As a measure to handle the situation, unlicensed tap connections have been cut. The problem in at least 15 wards will be solved if the water that is being supplied without permit is made to flow into overhead tanks and supplied through taps. But this will also require installation of motors and power connection,” he explained.

The minister also instructed Manoj Kumar Meena, the Deputy Commissioner, to immediately release Rs 49 lakh for provision of equipment for the connection work.

Action plan

“An action plan for Rs 50 lakh has been brought up to sink up to 28 borewells in the City. We require about Rs 89 lakh for purchase of pumpsets and other machines, which should be provided from the drought relief fund,” Varthur said.

“As much as Rs three crore is available from the Chief Minister Drought Relief Funds. But the officers are unaware of how to utilise the funds,” he said and added that, in the backdrop, the commissioner had been instructed to get records including the CM’s fund cheques.