'Chikkamagaluru to be open defecation-free by October 2'

Chikkamagaluru district will be declared open defecation-free by October 2. The work on construction of toilets are under progress, said Zilla Panchayat CEO Dr R Ragapriya.

Briefing mediapersons on Monday, she said that the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj has decided to declare the entire state open defecation-free by October 2. “Out of 87,873 pending toilets, 74,650 toilets have been constructed in the district in the last four years. Barring Kadur and Tarikere taluks, the other five taluks have achieved 95% progress,” she declared.

“To create awareness on sanitation and the use of toilets, an awareness jatha is being organised under the Swaccha Bharath Mission. The caller tunes of all the district-level, taluk-level and panchayat officials spread the message of Swaccha Bharath Mission,” Dr Ragapriya informed.

Speaking on the work on ridding the district of open defecation, the officer said, “Already, Chikkamagaluru, Koppa, Mudigere, NR Pura and Sringeri taluks are free from open defecation. Banoori, Pillenahalli, Balliganooru, Yallambalase and Niduvalli gram panchayats in Kadur taluk, Kamanadurga, Gopala, Neralekere, Anuvanahalli, Narayapura, Lingadahalli, Athimogge, Thigada, Bavikere, Kenchikoppa and Koranahalli panchayats in Tarikere have been declared open defecation-free.”

The CEO said that, owing to a technical glitch, funds for the construction of toilets were not released from January to March. Now, however, there is no shortage of grant for the construction of toilets.

‘Cap borewells’
Stating that she has directed all the PDOs to initiate measures to cap all the abandoned borewells in the district, Dr Ragapriya said that measures will be taken to ensure that incident of Jhunjarwad in Belagavi does not occur in the district.

The CEO said that Sumangala, assistant joint director, Department of Public Instructions, has conducted a preliminary investigation into the alleged illegality in the transfer of additional teachers. The probe will be completed within two weeks. Based on the report, action would be initiated against erring officials, she assured.

“Following the complaints on illegality and based on the report submitted by Zilla Panchayat members, I had written to the state government. I cannot initiate action against the DDPI, the BEO and the Group A officials. The probe was delayed as Basavaraju, joint director (administration), failed to arrive for the investigation,” said the officer.

Zilla Panchayat vice president Ramaswamy Shettigadde said that probe is being conducted against DDPI, Chikkamagaluru, and Kadur, Tarikere and Birur BEOs.

The CEO said that a complaint has been registered against contractor H J Prabhakar and concerned engineers on the misuse of funds in four multi-village drinking water schemes in Chikkamagaluru district.