Minister and team receive stream of complaints

The team of officials and medical education and district in-charge minister S A Ramdas was greeted by drought along the villages they visited in Hunsur taluk on Saturday.

People of Chellahalli, where an interaction was organised, came out with a stream of problems.

They complained that their crops were destroyed due to failure of monsoon. “There is severe drinking water problem, forget irrigation. Among 10 borewells in the village, only four are in working condition. We get four pots of water once in three days. Only one borewell is connected to the tank. Even this tank leaks, causing loss of water. There is no drinking water for cattle also, they said.

The villagers said, no measures have been taken to desilt lakes.

They said Rs 16 lakh was granted, which would not be enough for 20 villages as desilting of one lake would require Rs five lakh.

There is no panchayat development officer and even village accountant at the village, they pointed out.

“The government primary school has no adequate classrooms and the situation of the anganawadi centre is also the same. The rooms alloted for the anganawadi is used by a women’s forum for a milk union.

There are no teachers,” they complained.

The minister said, two classrooms would be constructed by diverting funds allocated for Mysore city and desilting of lakes would be taken up on priority.

No salary

Gopamma, a helper at Chellahalli gram panchayat for 22 years, said there was no one to heed to her problems. She burst out in tears when minister Ramdas walked away without listening to her problems, followed by officials and followers.

Gopamma alleged that the GP president and members were arrogant towards the employees.

“Salary for 15 employees have not been paid for the past five months. They arrogantly tell us to resign, if we ask for salary,” she said.

She said she was finding it difficult to run her family.