Lay emphasis on restoration of roads, says DyCM Karjol

Deputy Chief Minister Govind M Karjol has directed the officials concerned to focus on reconstructing the damaged roads in the district.

He was speaking at a meeting with Public Works Department officials at Sudarshana Guest House in Madikeri on Wednesday.

Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy said that a tender has been invited for the work on the construction of a protective wall on Mangaluru Road near the district administration complex.

Also chairing a meeting of the Social Welfare Department, the deputy chief minister asked the officials concerned to ensure the supply of best quality food to the inmates of hostels run by the department.

“Proper healthcare should be provided to the students,” he said and also directed the deputy commissioner to identify sites for Morarji Desai, Kitturu Rani Chennamma and Vajpayee Residential Schools and Ashram Schools which do not have buildings of their own.

MLA K G Bopaiah requested the deputy chief minister to release additional funds to repair the severed roads and bridges.

Govind M Karjol said that the chief minister has already announced a special package of Rs 536 crore to Kodagu.

An additional fund of Rs 58 crore will be released from the Public Works Department, he added.

He later visited the Madikeri-Sampaje Road on National Highway 275, which had caved-in last year following rain. He also inspected the condition of Katakeri and Second Monnangeri roads.

‘No political vendetta’

Reacting to a query by the media, the DCM stated that the arrest of former minister D K Shivakumar is not politically motivated.

The Enforcement Directorate had done an inquiry as he was involved in a money laundering case. Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax departments are autonomous organisations, he added.

MLA Appachu Ranjan, MLC Sunil Subramani, Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer K Lakshmi Priya and District Social Welfare Department Deputy Director Bharati were present.

Congress workers gherao DyCM’s car

Protesting against the arrest of former minister and Congress leader D K Shivakumar, Congress workers tried to gherao Deputy Chief Minister Govind M Karjol’s car on Tuesday night. The police arrested the protestors and later released them.

The incident took place at Kushalnagar at 8.30 am when the deputy chief minister arrived in the district from Mysuru. The protestors were all set to surround his car. As a precautionary measure, police arrested 25 Congress workers including K K Manjunath Kumar, K P Chandrakala and V P Shashidhar, detained them at Town Police station and released them at 10 pm.