Bengaluru: Minister for Municipalities and Local Bodies, and Public Enterprises Eshwar B Khandre on Tuesday said the government has commenced the process of recruiting conservancy workers to fill up the vacancies at various local bodies.

“The government plans to recruit 3,000 conservancy workers shortly to fill up the existing vacancies in the state,’’ Minister Eshwar B Khandre said while inaugurating a workshop on solid waste management and sewage at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru.

The minister said the process of filling up vacancies would be completed within a short period. “The recruitment will be done through the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC),’’ the minister said.
Chairmen, vice-chairmen, commissioners and officials of various local bodies, including Mysuru and Kalaburagi Municipal Corporation officials attended the workshop.

“The local bodies have to adopt latest technology in managing solid waste and facilitating underground drainage system to prevent the spread of diseases due to unhygienic conditions,’’ the minister said. He said the government has given importance for the construction of toilet for each household in rural areas by sanctioning Rs 15,000 financial assistance to each of the beneficiaries. “There are 277 local bodies in the state and among them, 19 city and town municipalities are declared free from open defecation. The government aims to add 100 more towns and cities to the list,’’ he said.

The state government aims to make all cities and towns free from open defecation by October 2, 2018, the minister said.

Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000 cr for UGD

The minister said the government needs to spend Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000 crore to provide underground drainage (UGD) facility at all towns and cities in the state. “It is not possible for the state government to allocate this much amount right now. So, the UGD works have been taken up at few municipalities and corporations. Wherever the UGD facility is not feasible, the local bodies have to focus on managing the solid waste through latest technology,’’ he said.

Advising the local bodies to emulate Devanahalli model of disposing solid waste, the minister opined the local bodies should give importance to the disposal or managing of solid waste management than on constructing roads and drains. “I want all the civic bodies to follow the norms while taking up developmental works,’’ he said.