The Hindu : Attempts to oppose development works decried

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 23, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Madikeri

Attempts to oppose development works decried

By Our Staff Correspondent

MADIKERI, FEB. 22. The Minister of State for Excise, M.M. Nanaiah, has decried what he termed attempts by some people to oppose development works being taken up by the Government in the district.

Speaking after inaugurating a filter house built under the second stage drinking water supply project at the Kootuhole Reservoir, he said there was always room for discussion in a democracy and whatever differences existed should be sorted out through talks.

The filter house, which has a storage capacity of 4.54 million litres, has been constructed at a cost of Rs. 4.25 crore by the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board.

Mr. Nanaiah said the filter house would help store additional quantum of water, which would help the Madikeri City Municipal Council (CMC) to tackle the drinking water crisis.

Work on a drinking water supply project at Betri, 25 km. from here, would begin soon, he said and added that Rs. 15 crore had been sanctioned for the project by the Government. The Betri project would help meet the drinking water needs of townships and villages from Betri to Madikeri such as Murnad, Hakathur, Kaggodlu, Mekeri, and others. Development works would have to be taken up in phases, he added.

Mr. Nanaiah announced that Rs. 6 crore had been sanctioned by the Department of Public Works to repair roads from Kodlipet to Gonicoppa in the district. The Madikeri-Murnad-Virajpet-Gonicoppa Road would be asphalted shortly.

He said encouraging tourism in Kodagu would not sound a death knell to the local culture. On the other hand, it would improve trade and commerce, provide employment to youth, and raise the standard of living, he added. A sum of Rs. 2 crore had already been released to Kodagu for developing tourism.

The President of the CMC, Kaveramma Somanna, noted that there could be some difficulty in supplying drinking water everyday.

Nanda Kumar, councillor, welcomed the gathering. The Vice-President of the CMC, T.M. Aiyappa, proposed a vote of thanks. The Deputy Commissioner, Srikant Valagad, and the CMC Commissioner, Shivanne Gowda, were present.

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