Nodal officers to monitor Basava Indira Awaz Yojna soon

Work progress will be uploaded on RGHC website periodically

Addressing officials at the ZP KDP meeting on Monday, Shivashankar said that Gram Panchayats will have no power to distribute cheques to beneficiaries under the BIAY, once nodal officers were appointed.

“Nodal officers will monitor the construction works of the houses under the BIAY. Photos of the work site will be uploaded on the website of Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation (RGHC) periodically. Later, the Corporation will directly deposit the scheme benefit of Rs 63,500 into the bank account of beneficiaries,” he explained.

Taluks with less than 35 GPs will have one nodal officer to monitor the scheme implementation. If the number of GPs in a taluk is more than 35, then the government will appoint two nodal officers. Accordingly, barring Sullia taluk, all other taluks in the district will get two nodal officers, he added.

It is not possible for the GP Executive Officers to conduct spot inspections and monitor the work directly. Moreover, there is no specially designated officers in GPs to monitor the scheme implementation, Shivashankar said.

The process of appointment of nodal officers on contract basis has already been completed, Shivashankar said adding that the officers will take charge soon. ZP President Santhosh Kumar Bhandary and the CEO took Minor Irrigation Department officials to task for sanctioning excessive amount under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) for the maintenance of vented dams in the district.

Officials had submitted a list of 64 works, wherein the Minor Irrigation Department had sanctioned fund to the tune of Rs 60,000 only to replace the planks of one vented dam.
Santhosh Bhandary said that maintenance work of vented dams taken up by the Minor Irrigation Department must be reviewed.

Agriculture Department Joint Director Padmaiah Naik said that the district could achieve only 93 per cent of the target set for the kharif paddy cultivation for the year 2010-11. The kharif paddy cultivation, which was 32,845 hectares in 2008-09, had reduced to 32,583 hectares in 2009-10, he added.

‘No fertiliser shortage’

Talking about the demand and supply of fertilisers, Naik said that the department has received 5,289 tonnes of urea between April and August this year, against the requirement of 2,960 tonnes.

Requirement of di-ammonia phosphate was 660 tonnes and the district has received 991 tonnes during the same period. Similarly, the district has received 2,830 tonnes of potash, against the requirement of 2,423 tonnes, he said.

The demand for complex fertilisers was 7,900 tonnes but the district has received only 2,661 tonnes, he said adding that the shortage can be compensated with various other fertilisers available with the department.

ZP Vice-President Jagannath Salyan, Standing Committee Chairpersons Rajashri Hegde and Sadananda Malli were present.