All schools to get water purifiers by 2012: ZP CEO

Speaking at an interaction programme organised by the Mangalore Press Club at the Pathrika Bhavan here on Saturday, Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer P Shivashankar said “70 schools in the district have already been provided with the water purification system at a cost of Rs 10.80 lakh.

The system will be introduced in 164 schools at an estimated cost of Rs 17.97 lakh by the end of 2011,” he said adding that the main objective of providing water purifier is to ensure quality of water in schools.

Double entry in GPs

Shivashankar said that the ZP has introduced double entry system with regard to statistics in all Gram Panchayats in the district to monitor the finance management.  All GPs in the district have been provided with computers and the ‘Pancha Tantra’ web-based software will be activated soon. Public can obtain information of any GP by opening the public domain, ‘Panchamitra’ website. Proceedings of the grama sabhas will also be uploaded in the website.

Meter system

The CEO said that the Zilla Panchayat is introducing metering system for all water supply connections in the district so that the operation and maintenance can be done properly.  The system, which can check water wastage and other problems, has already been introduced in Kinnigoli, Haleyangadi, Thokur and Golthamajalu GPs, he added. Out of 86,000 water supply connections, meters were already installed in about 39,000 points, he said adding that the Central government too has decided to replicate the model.

Waste management

Effective waste disposal system will be introduced in 35 semi-urban GPs in the district. Schemes have been introduced on a pilot basis in five GPs including Golthamajalu, Subramanya, Kinnigoli-Mudushedde, Laila and Kadaba, he said. A plan has been designed specially for Kateel Temple, wherein waste can be converted into cooking gas, he added.

Shivashankar said that OS1-dms, an environment-friendly and non-toxic micro-organism solution, will be used to convert waste into odour-free. “Waste will become odour-free within 20 minutes and become free from impurities within 36 hours, after the solution was sprayed on it. The water collected from the waste can be used for agriculture purpose,” he explained.

Suvarna Gramodaya

He informed that Rs 2.43 crore has been reserved to conduct skill development training programmes for unemployed youths in selected 65 villages in the district.

Unemployed youths with 7 - 12th standard qualification can apply for the training, which will be conducted in 18 different streams, he added.

Knowledge Resource Centre

Bharath Nirman Rajiv Gandhi Seva Kendra (BNRGSK) Knowledge Resource Centres will be set up under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in taluk and GP centres. Rs 10 lakh each will be provided for GPs and Rs 25 lakh each will be sanctioned for TPs to construct resource centres, Shivashankar said.
The Seva Kendra will provide place for holding meetings related to Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and also will function as information centres related to the scheme, he added. Dakshina Kannada District Union of Working Journalists President Harsha, Vice-President Guruvappa Balepuni and Secretary Harish Rai were present.