Need to develop sports grounds stressed at ZP meet

Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat members, cutting across party lines, urged Youth Empowerment and Sports Department to give more attention towards the development of playgrounds in taluks.

The Zilla Panchayat passed a resolution on organising Youth Empowerment and Sports Department meetings at the taluk level on a regular basis with the participation of members. The issue was discussed elaborately during the Zilla Panchayat’s extended meeting held at Nethravathi Auditorium in the Zilla Panchayat on Monday.

Sports grounds

Zilla Panchayat vice president Kasturi Panja expressed disappointment over the lack of attention paid to taluk sports grounds.

“Every year, lakhs of rupees are spent on the maintenance of the sports grounds but the development is not visible”, she said.

Zilla Panchayat former president and sitting member Asha Timmappa Gowda, member M S Muhammed, Mamata Gatty and others too highlighted the pathetic condition of sports grounds in their constituencies and said that the Zilla Panchayat members were not involved in the taluk level sports meetings.

“We doubt whether the meetings are conducted or not. The funds meant for the development of sports grounds is being diverted towards office maintenance,” they charged.

Zilla Panchayat vice-president directed the Youth Empowerment and Sports department Deputy Director Pradeep D’Souza to submit details on the grants released and the expenses incurred towards maintaining sports grounds in taluks across the district. Zilla Panchayat CEO said that an audit would be carried out in this regard.

SSLC results

Zilla Panchayat member Tungappa Bagera demanded an enquiry on why Dakshina Kannada district had slipped to the seventh place in SSLC examination results.

He suspected foul play in the valuation and condemned PWD minister H D Revanna’s demeaning remarks about Dakshina Kannada district. “There is a possibility of malpractice creeping into the valuation of answer papers of students from Ramanagara district which was ranked first in SSLC exams this year,” Bangera alleged.

Deputy Director of Public Instruction (DDPI) Y Shivaramaiah said even though the district had slipped in the ranking compared to other districts, there had been an improvement in the overall pass percentage. As many as 360 more students of the district had passed after revaluation, he added.

The pass percentage of Dakshina Kannada district in SSLC exams this year was 87.88%. Last year, 66 government high schools had recorded 100% results in Dakshina Kannada. This year 116 government high schools had achieved 100% results, he pointed out.

Member Mamata Shetty drew attention towards the acute shortage of teachers in government schools.

Other issues

Member Dharanendrakumar urged the Zilla Panchayat to follow up on the proposal to name Mangaluru International Airport after Koti-Chennaya. Member Mamata Gatty demanded reservation of 10-acre government land in each GP limits, for public utilities.

Kasturi Panja said that the issue was before the Social Justice Standing Committee and a resolution would be passed accordingly. Member Vinod Kumar urged that work on vented dams in the district should be expedited.

When the members raised the issue of fever cases in Ligappayyana Kadu in Mulki, the official concerned stated that special drives would be conducted by the Health department towards creating awareness and attending to suspected Dengue cases.

Member M S Muhammed and others expressed their concern over the shortage of doctors and lab technicians at the government hospitals.

Education and Health Standing Committee president Anitha H Shetty said that 11 rice sacks were missing from the government school in Haradi in Puttur. The Zilla Panchayat CEO directed the DDPI and the Akshara Dasoha officer to carry out an investigation.

Education and Health Standing Committee president Anita H Shetty, Social Justice Standing Committee president Janardana Gowda and Agriculture and Industries Standing Committee president Ibrahim were present at the meet.