'A true salute to Bapu'

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Trust Director Krishna Moolya said that he, along with another Trust Director Sheena Shetty and some volunteers had already visited the Koraga families asking them to register for obtaining ‘Employment card’ from the department concerned.

Zilla Panchayat CEO Shivashankar inaugurated the programme at the house of Sanna Thaniya at Thovooru in Kotekar.
Thaniya planted a sapling in his land.
The CEO also visited Koraga colonies in various parts of the district and checked the ongoing works under NREGS.

The Koragas planted areca saplings, coconut saplings, fruit saplings and jasmine plants in their own land and made the celebration meaningful, he added.
“The NREGS allows a person/family to work in their own land and get paid for the same. A person can earn Rs 20 for digging a pit to plant a sapling. There are a total of 881 Koraga families in Dakshina Kannada district (except Mangalore City) and if each family digs only one pit, a sum of more than Rs 16,000 can be availed by them under NREGS,” Moolya said.

Koraga families had not registered their names under NREGS. The awareness drive will be conducted throughout the month so that everyone is registered under NREGS, he added.
Out of the 881 families, the taluk-wise break-up is as follows: Mangalore taluk - 487; Bantwal - 177; Belthangady - 98; Puttur - 86; and Sullia - 33.

Officials work
Inspite of being a government holiday, the Deputy Commissioner’s office and taluk panchayat office in Mangalore were buzzling with activities.
Gandhi Jayanthi was observed in a unique way by working on the drive of systematising record rooms of Deputy Commissioner’s office and Taluk offices in the district through the process of ‘indexing and cataloguing.’

As many as 500 personnel from revenue department took part in the drive.
Speaking to Deccan Herald, Deputy Commissioner V Ponnuraj said, “Revenue department officials of the district observed Gandhi Jayanthi in a meaningful manner. Other than travel allowance, no other allowance will be given to them for working on a holiday. All of them have supported and worked with enthusiasm.”