Mysuru: A Zilla Panchayat meeting was scheduled to discuss the developments in various programmes of the State Government, however the absence of several district-level officers irked the ZP President Dr. Pushpa Amarnath.

On Monday January 12, during the  Karnataka Development Programme (KDP) meeting held at ZP auditorium around 18 district-level officers of various Departments were not present and had sent their representatives for the all important meeting. Irked by this, ZP President Dr. Pushpa Amarnath issued orders saying that the officers must take her permission well in advance for not attending the meeting.

Terming that the KDP meeting had become a mere attendance meeting, she said that the officials were not serious about attending the meeting which discusses various developmental issues. She further ordered all the officials to meet her and explain the reason  for their absence..

Annoyed by this, several ZP members, including Agriculture and Industry Committee Chairman C.T. Rajanna, took ZP CEO P.A. Gopal to task saying that he had no control over the officials and despite being informed by his office, the officials had not attended the meeting.

With regard to providing basic facilities at student hostels run by Departments of Social Welfare and Backward Community and Minority Development, the officials informed that a proposal seeking Rs. 6.5 crore fund had been submitted to the State Government to provide better facilities at the hostel.

Reacting to this, ZP President Dr. Pushpa instructed the officials to solve the problem within a month.

She also asked the officials to prepare a report for outsourcing the catering for student hostel to MSPT which is currently supplying food for anganawadis in the district. Other development issues were also discussed later.