Minister: Take schemes of door steps of beneficiaries

Revenue Minister R Ashoka said officials have been told to visit villages and ensure that the benefits of the government’s schemes are delivered to the doorsteps of the beneficiaries.

He was speaking after inaugurating a Mini Vidhana Soudha in Udupi and laying foundation stone for the construction of a Mini Vidhana Soudha near Bannanje on Wednesday.

Ashoka said said ‘Halligalige Nadeyeeri Adhikarigalige’ programme (Walk of officials towards villages) is designed with the objective of taking the schemes to the door steps of the beneficiaries. Under the initiative, DC, assistant commissioner and tahsildars will interact with people at their door steps once in a month and dispose of the applications pending in the Revenue Department, he added.

He said the funds required for the development of Udupi district will be released immediately. “The Mini Vidhana Soudha was built by Karnataka Housing Board at a total cost of Rs 10 crore. Spread over 43,178 sqft area, it will have the tahsildar’s office, a court room, office of the Food and Civil Supplies Department, office of assistant director of land records (ADLR), office of the MLA and a conference hall with a seating capacity of 200 persons on the second floor,” he said.

Ashoka, justifying the need to link Aadhaar with bank accounts, said the state government is spending Rs 7,500 crore annually to pay the pension. This move will eliminate fake beneficiaries and help the government to save Rs 900 crore, he noted.

He said the old age pension will be delivered at the door steps of the people and Udupi has been chosen as a pilot district for this initiative. About 2,000 beneficiaries have been identified in Udupi district for this project, he added.