Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat (ZP) on Wednesday resolved to take a delegation to the government demanding higher allocation for drinking water projects, after government sanctioned Rs 27 crore, which was lesser in comparison to last year.
Meanwhile, chief executive officer (CEO) Thulasi Maddineni also came under fire from members for choosing sites to build check dams at different parts of the district, without consulting the members.
Channappa Kotian asked how the engineering department could set apart about Rs. 22 crore out of the sanctioned Rs. 27 crore for spill-over works. Vice-president Satish Kumpala said over the years, the allocation from the governments had been decreasing — Rs. 50 crore last fiscal and Rs. 27 crore this fiscal.
Many parts of the district were reeling under an acute drinking water shortage. “We cannot show our faces in gram sabhas due to meagre allocation”, Kotian said and added that the blame goes to the officials who failed to convince water crisis to the higher officials by updating the data-base properly.
Meanwhile, President Asha Thimmappa Gowda said a delegation of at least 10 members would soon meet Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister H.K. Patil to demand more funds for drinking water projects.
Check dams
Besides, Mr. Kotian sought to know as to how Ms. Maddineni could allow construction of check dams only at a few places under the National Rural Drinking Water Project. He questioned the fate of the proposals submitted by ZP members and wanted to know who was the supreme authority — the CEO or the Panchayat Council — to allocate the Rs. 2.7 crore meant for the project.
B.S. Mamatha Gatty urged the CEO to visit each and every village in the district and get to know the ground realities. “Aren’t there streams in every constituency to build check dams,” she asked. Ms. Maddineni said the funds did not come under the council’s allocation powers. However, president Ms. Gowda, upon the insistence of the members, resolved that each constituency would get a check dam.
Form 9 and 11A
The ZP members said that the government should simplify rules realted to the purchase and sale of land coming in Gram Panchayats. Villagers go through hardship while buying and selling land because of the Forms 9 and 11A of Karnataka Panchayat Raj rules.
In reply, ZP CEO said that she has written to the government to exempt furnishing of details under Form 9 and 11A for sites which are less than 10 cents. Besides, the issue has been brought to the notice of district in-charge minister, she added.
