ZP members blame lackadaisical attitude of officials

“Even 10 months after the natural disaster, houses have not been handed over to the victims. Crop loans have not been waived. Many are deprived of rent allowance, only because of the lackadaisical attitude of the government officials,” alleged zilla panchayat members at Old Fort Hall in Madikeri on Friday.

During the zilla panchayat special general meeting chaired by Zilla Panchayat President B A Harish, the members accused the district administration of creating confusions in compensation paid to the natural calamity victims.

Zill Panchayat member K P Chandrakala said, “None of the victims has been suitably compensated in any of the gram panchayats in the district. Victims in Nelyahudikeri, Koodige, Guddehosuru and Madapura have not been suitably compensated. The victims have been questioning the zilla panchayat members. But, we are not able to answer the people or take up any follow up work due to lack of cooperation by officials, who have been stating that amount to the tune of several crores of rupees has been dispensed off towards compensation.”

She meanwhile pointed out that the families whose houses were damaged in Guddehosuru have not been compensated yet. Now, these families are in distress as there are no rented houses available.

Member M B Suneetha said that the natural calamity victims in Nelyahudikeri have not been provided with compensation.

The officials are not providing information to the local residents about the government order on land conversion, she added.

Another member Pankaja said that compensation has not reached all natural calamity victims in her constituency.

Tree felling issue

Referring to the felling of hundreds of trees near Mekeri in K Nidugane Gram Panchayat limits, member Shivu Madappa said that even though permission is given for the conversion of acres of land to outsiders to build resorts in Kodagu, local residents are not given permission to build houses on a small patch of land.

The banks have been asking the victims to furnish land conversion order to sanction loans for the construction of houses, he said.

ZP President B A Harish assured the members of holding a meeting with Revenue Department officials in this regard.

Assistant Commissioner Javaregowda said that 427 houses will be handed over to the natural calamity victims in the first phase while 405 houses will be completed in the second phase. The work on 20 houses in Karnangeri, 80 houses in Madenadu and 100 houses in Jamburu is in progress and the district administration wants to hand over the houses to the beneficiaries before the onset of monsoon.

“Compensation has been provided to owners who have lost 268 cattle. Compensation of Rs 2.53 crore has been given for the loss of 415 houses since November 2018 till date,” the official added.

ZP member Murali Karumbaiah said that the compensation of Rs 37,000 per acre of farmland damaged in rain is insufficient. The amount should be increased.

The ZP president assured the members of bringing the same to the notice of the district in-charge minister. A resolution was passed in the meeting to hike the compensation amount.

District Health Officer Dr K Mohan said that precautionary measures have been taken to prevent the outbreak of Nipah virus in the district.

Zilla Panchayat Vice President Lokeshwari Gopal and Zilla Panchayat CEO K Lakshmi Priya were present in the meeting.