‘Jal Jeevan Mission works to be over by March next year’

District In-charge Minister V Sunil Kumar said that all the 468 works initiated under Jal Jeevan Mission in the district will be completed by March next year.

"A sum of Rs 310 crore has been released to the district under Jal Jeevan Mission, which is envisioned to provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections. Out of 468 works, as many as 168 works have been completed and household tap connections have been provided to 28,000 households," he told reporters after chairing the quarterly Karnataka Development Programmes (KDP) review meeting at ZP hall on Friday.

He said the remaining 58,000 households will get water connections by March next year.

'Review applications'

The minister directed the officials from the revenue department to review the rejected applications under 94 C, 94 CC of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, for regularising their land. As many as 53,000 applications have been rejected in Dakshina Kannada in the last five years.

"I have asked officials to review the applications that were rejected to ensure that applications of genuine beneficiaries are not rejected," he said.

Already, land has been identified for setting up a district-level gaushala at Ramakunja. The MLAs have shown interest in setting up gaushala at the taluk level, which will be maintained through the temples, he added.

Accordingly, we have decided to set up gaushala at Subrahmanya, Puttur, Kateel, Polali and Sauthadka. The officials have been directed to identify the required land for the same. The temple committee will maintain these gaushalas, he said.

As many as 16,154 beneficiaries have applied for Chief Minister Raitha Vidya Nidhi in the district. There are 1.15 lakh farmers in the district. To ensure that all the farmers' children get benefits, the agriculture department and education department have been asked to work together to register the names of the beneficiaries. As many as 3,600 applications submitted for BPL ration cards are pending disposal, he added.

"I have directed officials to ensure that they are disposed immediately to ensure that beneficiaries get ration cards. Officials have been asked to clear all 2,800 pending applications submitted by the differently abled seeking monthly honorarium by February 19," said the minister.

'Will meet CM'

To a query on national highways in the district, the minister said he will convene a meeting of all MLAs from the district, in Bengaluru, after February 14, to discuss the issue.

"We will also meet the chief minister to discuss the budget requirements for the district," he said.

The minister said he will convene a meeting on the Smart city projects related to Mangaluru City Corporation next week.

'70% work completed'

He said that about 60 to 70% of the works of the DC office complex in Padil has been completed.

About Rs 29 crore additional funds will be sought to complete the work, he added.

Textile park

On the textile park in the Karkala constituency, the minister said that 20 acres of land has been identified at Chara in Hebri. A standard operating procedure (SOP) will be prepared to take up the work.