'Sufficient funds for Kolar'

Various programmes, schemes chalked out at emergency meeting

Hence, officials of the various departments should make honest efforts in the implementation of various schemes and programmes for the benefit of the people.
Also, they should make sincere efforts in solving the problems of the farmers in particular and the public, the minister said.

He was speaking at the emeregency meeting held here on Thursday, to review the progress of the developmental programmes of Kolar district.
Muniyappa said, for the comprehensive development of Kolar district, all the elected representatives, officials and the people concerned should sit together and chalk out programmes for the overall development of the district and prepare a new plan in this direction.

Special responsiblity
Giving special instructions to the Executive Engineer of the Zilla Panchayat Devaraj, the minister stated that the executive engineer had special responsibility on him. The EE is supposed to install pump sets to 56 borewells, which were drilled in the district, in order to solve the drinki ng water problem, prevailing in Kolar, within a span of 10 days.
He further said, the deputy commissioner and the chief executive officer of the Zilla Panchayat, should seek information and discuss, every week, regarding the progress of the various tasks and also, regarding the disbursal of the funds allotted to the Engineering section. Infact, there was no dearth of funds for the implementation of the development projects. If further need arised, the State government was also ready to chip in. The officials concerned should impart their duties and responsibilities with utmost care and commitment, he said and added that, the Bescom power supply should be provided, as soon as an appeal will be spent by the Engineering section.

He said, an agitation will be held to clear the encroachment on the Raja canal in the district. The police should provide suitable security during the clearance of the encroachment on the canal. Only genuine cases on atrocity should be considered and false complaints should be entertained, Muniyappa instructed Superintendent of Police Puttaswamy.

About one lakh families would be involved in milk production and sheep rearing occupation. The officials concerned should encourage the farmers to cultivate excellent varieties of cashewnut, jamoon, etc.
The minister further said, the task of contructing bunds in the fields should be dropped.

Alternate cropping
The farmers should be advised to cultivate alternate cropping system in their fields. A special project should be prepared comprising the officials of the departments of Agriculture, Horticulture, and Industries, under the guidance of the deputy commissioner, within a month’s time. The deputy commissioner should be informed about all the expenditures occured in the utilisation of MP funds.
Muniyappa said, measures should be taken ensure that there was sufficient drinking water and fodder in the district. There was stock of foodgrains which was sufficient for 13 months.

The same will be distributed among the public at suitable time. A separate meeting should be held in this regard, he said.
Deputy Commissioner N Prabhakar explaining about the situation prevailing in the district, said, Kolar had received 115-120 mm of rainfall till June 20, which was not sufficient for agriculture. About 19 per cent of sowing operations had taken place, while the groundnut and millet crops had gone dry. About Rs 24 crore losses has been estimated. There has been no rainfall, for a period of 69 days continuously.
Except for the rainfall which was received for a couple of days in between, this was helpful to undertake sowing activities upto 62 per cent. And if there was no rainfall for another week, then whatever has been sowed would be lost. And in that case, the loss will scale upto Rs 27 crore.

Giving up the details of the losses, the DC said, apart from this, agricultural and horticultural losses would sum upto Rs 107 crore.
Thus, a proposal of Rs 168 crore had been sent to the Government, he said and added, the fodder at present, would be sufficient for a period of five months. An amount of Rs 40 lakh had been released to the department of Animal Husbandry, in the second phase.

A drinking water project of Rs 20 crore had been prepared to solve the water scarcity problem prevailing in the rural areas. From April to this day, so far, 164 borewells had been drilled in the district, while 120 were successfully operating. Pumpsets should be installed to 64 borewells. Meanwhile, total target of borewells was 776, ZP CEO Rangarao informed the meeting.

Stood third
Under the Emplopyment Guarantee Scheme, the district stood third in the State, while it stood 25th in the country. So far, 4,157 programmes had been completed under the scheme and 35 lakh human days were created. Works were being implemented in  every panchayat in the district and so far, an amount of Rs 34.31 crore had been utilised.

There was a good response for the project in Mulbagal taluk, while silt had been removed from 600 canals. Just rainfall on a single day, has helped fill the tanks. Meanshile, compound contruction for schools is also being implemented, while, an amount of Rs 1.17 crore had been spent in Balla Gram Panchayat of Mulbagal taluk.
The Deputy Commissioner informed that a meeting had been organised on September 16 and all the members of the Zilla Panchayat, president, vice-president and all the elcted representatives would be attending it. All the district-level officials were present at the emergency meeting.

*  Weekly meeting of the DC and the CEO
*  Installation of pump sets to the borewells, within a week’s time
*  Immediately supply of power
*  Encouragement to alternate cropping system
*  Review of the utilisation of MP funds.