MLA vents ire against officials on Covid-19 control in Kodagu

Virajpet MLA K G Bopaiah said that the district administration has totally failed to prevent people from Kerala from entering the district without proper documents.

There has been no control on the pandemic in the district, he said.

He was speaking during a review meeting chaired by the new District In-charge Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary, at the Zilla Panchayat auditorium in Madikeri on Friday.

The MLA directed the district administration to suspend the officials and staff who are not executing their duties efficiently.

At a certain point, Bopaiah expressed his displeasure against the deputy commissioner and the superintendent of police.

He said that the police department has failed in ensuring strict control measures.

The staff deployed at the district borders are not doing a good job. Even though the direction was given to install CCTV cameras at the check posts, the same has not been followed so far, he said.

"People tested positive for Covid-19 are entering the district. Vehicles are let inside the district by the deployed staff, after receiving money from the people," he alleged and asked whether the police are in deep slumber.

Checking is not done properly at Kutta, Makutta, Karike, Sampaje and Titimati check posts, added the MLA.

Deputy Commissioner Charulata Somal said that the staff are alert on district borders round the clock.

"It is not prudent to make allegations on the district administration," she added.

MLC Veena Achaiah urged the government to initiate measures to ensure that people are administered the second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine within the due date.

AC's office staff warned

MLC Sunil Subramani accused the staff at the assistant commissioner's office of behaving rudely with the public.

Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary directed the assistant commissioner to issue strict instructions to the office staff and to suspend them if they do not mend their ways.

"Officers and staff who do not respond to the people's problems will be shown the door," he said.

Expressing his concern against the rising cases of Covid-19 in the district, he issued directions to install CCTV cameras at the district borders and to initiate strict measures towards Covid-19 control.

"The rise in cases has been found after the unlock. There has been an increase in the number of people coming from Kerala which is witnessing the third wave of Covid-19," he said and strictly told the officials not to allow people from Kerala to enter Kodagu.

In case of emergency work, people can be allowed only when they produce RT-PCR negative report generated before 72 hours, said Kota.

He told the officials concerned to conduct Rapid-Antigen Tests before allowing people who travel to the district in goods transport vehicles.

"The Gram Panchayat level task force committees on Covid-19 should conduct meetings once in three days," he added.

The district in-charge minister also asked the department concerned to write to the government requesting for the continuation of the outsourced staff, deployed for Covid-19 duties, in health and family welfare and medical education departments.

District Health and Family Welfare officer Dr K Mohan said that the Covid Care Centres will continue to operate. Covid-19 tests are being held on a regular basis.

He added that 14 posts of specialist doctors and four MBBS doctors are vacant in the district hospital, along with those of nurses and ANM.

Rain damages

The PWD engineer said that there have been 35 minor incidents of road damages due to rain.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Raju Mogavira said that 95 houses have been damaged during rain. Crops on 14.50 hectares of land have been lost, causing a loss of Rs 90.61 crore.

The minister directed the officials to furnish a report to the government, after conducting a survey on crop loss.

Western Ghats Task Force chairman Shantheyanda Ravi Kushalappa, Madikeri Urban Development Authority chairman Ramesh Holla, Superintendent of Police Kshama Mishra, Zilla Panchayat CEO Bhanwar Singh Meena and others were present.

Appachu comes down hard on MP Pratap Simha

Madikeri MLA Appachu Ranjan did not attend the meeting even though he was in the district. He took part in a programme held in Nelyahudikeri.

Speaking to reporters, he said he was hopeful of getting a ministerial berth in the cabinet.

The high command has neglected the seniors, he said and asked why three ministerial posts have been given in several districts.

The MP of the region Pratap Simha has not pressurized the high command to provide ministerial berth to Kodagu. He might have forgotten that the party workers from Kodagu have striven hard to give him a lead of 80,000 votes in the Lok Sabha elections. Pratap Simha's silence has hurt me, he added.