<p class="title">The 72nd Republic Day celebrations were observed at General Thimayya Stadium in Madikeri on Tuesday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">District In-charge Minister V Somanna unfurled the National Flag on the occasion. The programme concluded relatively soon as there were no cultural events.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Delivering the Republic Day address, the minister said that under ‘Jal Jivan Mission’, drinking water will be supplied to all households in the rural areas before 2024. A grant of Rs 112.25 crore has been released towards the same to the district for the year 2020-21.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He further said, “The state government is committed to the overall development of the district. All citizens must join hands together to fulfil the motto of the Constitution of India to create a republic on the values of freedom, equality and brotherhood.”</p>.<p class="bodytext">Somanna said that the General K S Thimayya Museum which is ready for the inauguration is a symbol of Kodava pride.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A total of 1.36 lakh samples have been tested for Covid-19 in the district. As many as 2,363 Covid warriors have been administered the vaccine so far.</p>.<p class="bodytext">India has been appreciated by the United Nations for the measures it has taken to battle the Covid-19 pandemic, he added.</p>.<p><strong>Flood relief</strong></p>.<p class="bodytext">People in Kodagu district have been affected by three years of continuous floods. Houses are being provided to the victims and farmers are being compensated for their lost crops, said Somanna.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Also, basic facilities such as roads, bridges and protective walls are being rebuilt. The government has made all efforts to rebuild the lives of flood victims, he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He also said that a total of 498 houses have been handed over to the flood victims. In Biligeri, 22 houses are ready to be handed over. Work on 140 houses in Galibeedu village and 75 houses in Nidugane village is in progress and they will be handed over to the victims soon.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“From 2019-20, a total of 2,758 houses have been damaged and out of Rs 32.87 crore grants, Rs 7.46 crore has already been dispensed. The rest of the compensation will be transferred to the bank accounts of the victims. An amount of Rs 135.20 crore has been provided as compensation towards 66,980 cases, through direct benefit transfer,” he added.</p>.<p><strong>Upcoming works</strong></p>.<p class="bodytext">Work on a model post metric girls’ hostel is in progress at Kushalnagar of Somwarpet. A fund of Rs 3.64 crore has been released towards the same. A sum of Rs 41 crore has been provided to the urban local bodies under the third phase of Nagarotthana project, to develop stormwater drains, UGD, drinking water, development of parks and the development of SC/ST colonies, he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The government will provide houses to the houseless civic workers in all ULBs under Gruha Bhagya scheme, he added.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Ponnampet has already become a taluk centre and Kushalnagar too has been announced as a taluk. With this, the district now has five taluks, said the district in-charge minister.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Earlier to the formal programme, civil police, forest personnel, home guards and NCC troops conducted a march past.</p>.<p class="bodytext">MLA Appachu Ranjan M P, MLC Sunil Subramani, MLC Veena Achaiah, ZP president B A Harish, Deputy Commissioner Charulata Somal, ZP CEO Bhanwar Singh Meena and Taluk Panchayat president Tekkade Shobha Mohan were present.</p>
<p class="title">The 72nd Republic Day celebrations were observed at General Thimayya Stadium in Madikeri on Tuesday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">District In-charge Minister V Somanna unfurled the National Flag on the occasion. The programme concluded relatively soon as there were no cultural events.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Delivering the Republic Day address, the minister said that under ‘Jal Jivan Mission’, drinking water will be supplied to all households in the rural areas before 2024. A grant of Rs 112.25 crore has been released towards the same to the district for the year 2020-21.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He further said, “The state government is committed to the overall development of the district. All citizens must join hands together to fulfil the motto of the Constitution of India to create a republic on the values of freedom, equality and brotherhood.”</p>.<p class="bodytext">Somanna said that the General K S Thimayya Museum which is ready for the inauguration is a symbol of Kodava pride.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A total of 1.36 lakh samples have been tested for Covid-19 in the district. As many as 2,363 Covid warriors have been administered the vaccine so far.</p>.<p class="bodytext">India has been appreciated by the United Nations for the measures it has taken to battle the Covid-19 pandemic, he added.</p>.<p><strong>Flood relief</strong></p>.<p class="bodytext">People in Kodagu district have been affected by three years of continuous floods. Houses are being provided to the victims and farmers are being compensated for their lost crops, said Somanna.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Also, basic facilities such as roads, bridges and protective walls are being rebuilt. The government has made all efforts to rebuild the lives of flood victims, he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He also said that a total of 498 houses have been handed over to the flood victims. In Biligeri, 22 houses are ready to be handed over. Work on 140 houses in Galibeedu village and 75 houses in Nidugane village is in progress and they will be handed over to the victims soon.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“From 2019-20, a total of 2,758 houses have been damaged and out of Rs 32.87 crore grants, Rs 7.46 crore has already been dispensed. The rest of the compensation will be transferred to the bank accounts of the victims. An amount of Rs 135.20 crore has been provided as compensation towards 66,980 cases, through direct benefit transfer,” he added.</p>.<p><strong>Upcoming works</strong></p>.<p class="bodytext">Work on a model post metric girls’ hostel is in progress at Kushalnagar of Somwarpet. A fund of Rs 3.64 crore has been released towards the same. A sum of Rs 41 crore has been provided to the urban local bodies under the third phase of Nagarotthana project, to develop stormwater drains, UGD, drinking water, development of parks and the development of SC/ST colonies, he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The government will provide houses to the houseless civic workers in all ULBs under Gruha Bhagya scheme, he added.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Ponnampet has already become a taluk centre and Kushalnagar too has been announced as a taluk. With this, the district now has five taluks, said the district in-charge minister.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Earlier to the formal programme, civil police, forest personnel, home guards and NCC troops conducted a march past.</p>.<p class="bodytext">MLA Appachu Ranjan M P, MLC Sunil Subramani, MLC Veena Achaiah, ZP president B A Harish, Deputy Commissioner Charulata Somal, ZP CEO Bhanwar Singh Meena and Taluk Panchayat president Tekkade Shobha Mohan were present.</p>
