Madikeri Dasara: delegation to CM to seek more funds

Member of Legislative Council Veena Achaiah on Friday said a delegation will be taken to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to celebrate forthcoming Madikeri Dasara with pomp and gaiety.

Participating in an interaction organised by Kodagu Press Club, Veena said efforts will be made to seek additional funds for Dasara in a grand manner. “The government is expected to give its assent and let’s prepare for Dasara,” she added.

On her vision for the development of her native district, Veena felt that one should keep politics aside, especially after the election and work unitedly for development.

Mincing no words, Veena took a dig at Madikeri City Municipal Council, currently ruled by the Congress party she belongs to. “There is a lack of willingness in taking up development works of the private bus stand. The mistakes committed by the BJP is already visible, so also the Congress that wrested power from the saffron party. As said, there is a lack of coordination among ruling party members and it is evident with the pending issues.

“The Mahadevpete Road is riddled with woes and there is no or little efforts to set them right. Though there is no dearth of funds, development has remained a mirage,” Veena charged.

BJP MLC Sunil Subramani, who echoed Veena’s words of Veena, blamed some CMC members for being egoistic in their behaviour and coming in the way of development works. However, there are also some members who oblige, he noted.

He claimed to have written 70 letters to respective ministers to redress the grievances of the district. Besides, the issues have been raised in Legislative Council, he claimed.

Defending his stand on ‘Congress-free Kodagu’, Subramani said, “Organisational tactics differs from party to party, though all are united in terms of development.”

Subramani also said that he would meet Minister for Forest, Ecology and Environment B Ramanath Rai to find out a permanent solution to check the increasing man-elephant conflict.
“I have visited 25 Gram Panchayats and have verified that every Gram Panchayats is demanding Rs 2 crore annual grants. It may not be possible and Panchayats should bring reforms in their administration and generate revenue on their own, he remarked.

Veena said Revenue Minister Kagodu Thimmappa is expected to visit the district in September. 

“The minister has also promised to discuss the row over Jamma Bane lands with the officials to arrive on a consensus. Besides, tahsildar of Madikeri has been transferred and his successor will be given six months time to take corrective measures in the set up, he added.

Reacting to a query, Veena said she has directed officials to drive back the pachyderms that have strayed into the villages.

Keshav Kamath and B C Dinesh were present.