Depute Kannada speaking staff in banks: ZP members

Zilla Panchayat former president Koragappa Naik said in spite of requests to the Lead Bank, staff with Kannada knowledge have not been deputed in banks in rural areas.
  Most employees speak to customers in Hindi or English, and making communication difficult for rural people.

ZP Agriculture and Industries Standing Committee president Sarvottam Shetty said the banks are only told to teach Kannada to their employees, instead of deputation.

Member Tungappa Bangera said banks are not providing loans to members of self help groups and the interest has been hiked from 4% to 13%.

Drinking water projects

Mamata Gatti said spillover works related to drinking water supply projects are held up due to the non-release of funds. The ZP has not sent the proposal to the government.

President Meenakshi Shantigodu directed the executive engineer of the department concerned to send the proposal soon. Each constituency is allotted Rs 47.73 lakh under the National Rural Drinking Water Programme, she said.

Tungappa Bangera said drinking water supply project funds have been misappropriated in Kurnadu.

Koragappa Naik said ZP officials have not been working to provide government sites to beneficiaries in Belalu and Ujire Gram Panchayats although the land is allocated. The officials have not conducted spot inspection.

Janardana Gowda said many farmers have not received funds for cultivation of ponds. Joint agricultural director, however, said 39 of 83 beneficiaries have been given the funds.

Fact finding committee

The formation of a fact-finding committee to inspect the drinking water projects under KRIDL was also discussed. The KRIDL official had given wrong information in the last meeting and a 12-member panel would be formed soon, the ZP CEO said.

The CEO directed the district health officer and the district surgeon to conduct monthly camps at taluk hospitals to provide identity cards to physically disabled.