The Hindu : People unhappy with `developed taluk' tag

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 22, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

People unhappy with `developed taluk' tag

By Muralidhara Khajane

HASSAN, MARCH 21. Though the High-Power Committee for the Redressal of Regional Imbalances headed by D.M. Nanjundappa placed Alur among the developed taluks in the State, it is actually one of the backward taluks. The people of the taluk are unhappy with the Nanjundappa Committee report, as the committee has categorised Arkalgud, Holenarsipur, Channarayapatna and Belur taluks, which have irrigation facility, as "more backward" taluks.

Alur taluk in Hassan district has been neglected by the people's representatives over the past five decades, according to the people. The taluk lacks education, healthcare and irrigation facilities.

The people of the taluk blame elected representatives for the plight of the taluk and complain that none of the taluk officials reside there. Except for K.P. Chikke Gowda of Dodda Kanagal hobli, none of those who represented the Alur-Sakleshpur Assembly constituency were from Alur taluk.

The secretary of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat, Udaya Ravi, says that the people who gave up land for the construction of the Hemavathi Reservoir are yet to get compensation, and many of the evacuees have migrated to other taluks.

According to Manje Gowda, a social activist, though a high-level committee on rehabilitation recommended to the Government to relocate 17 villages affected by the reservoir project, nothing has been done so far. Lift irrigation schemes sanctioned nearly 20 years ago have not been taken up.

Sreenivas, a trader from Kenchammanahoskote hobli, says many villages in the taluk still lack basic facilities.

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