Pleas galore to settle workers' wages during chief minister's visit

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, on Wednesday, came across requests from labourers for settling dues under the MGNREGS, pending for several days now.

The labourers said that they had been told that the wages had been transferred to their accounts, but the same had not happened, during his tour of drought-hit areas in the district. The workers - who were undertaking desilting work in the Magadi tank in Shirahatti taluk in the district - told the chief minister that in some cases, money had been deposited into the accounts of those who had not undertaken any work.

Some of the workers have not even got the job cards, they told Siddaramaiah. The chief minister asked the deputy commissioner to explain to him the reasons for the wages under MGNREGS not being paid. He said that immediate steps would be taken to disburse the money to the labourers. Siddaramaiah said that officials would be directed to ensure that the workers get their wages in the next couple of days.

A few workers demanded that the chief minister should listen to their grievances on crop loss compensation not being paid to them. They said that the officials were not providing proper information. The chief minister later visited Durgadevi tank in Lakkundi and Timlapur tank to oversee renovation works. He also went to the fodder bank to take stock of the situation. He directed officials to give MGNREGS jobs to all applicants.

2 Koppal officials suspended
Siddaramaiah has ordered the suspension of Yalaburga tahsildar Shivalingappa Pattadakal and Horticulture department deputy director Shashikant Kotimani. 

During a review of drought-relief works at the Koppal ZP auditorium, he said officials of the departments of revenue, agriculture, horticulture were supposed to undertake a joint survey. But they did not do so and submitted a report. He said the anomaly had hit farmers hard. Thus, he ordered suspension of the two officials.