The Hindu : Karnataka / Hassan News : Revanna warns erring officials

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 01, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Hassan

Revanna warns erring officials

By Our Staff Correspondent

HASSAN, NOV. 30. The Karnataka Development Programme (KDP) meeting chaired by the Minister for Public Works and Energy and district in-charge, H.D. Revanna, here on Monday indicated at the break-down of official machinery in the district.

Mr. Revanna took the officials to task and said that he would initiate action against them if they failed to change their attitude.

In the two-hour meeting, Mr. Revanna sought clarification from the officials of all the departments regarding their "apathy" in implementing government programmes.

Clarification

He sought clarification from the CEO about why the gram panchayats were allowed to draw Rs. 1 lakh for repairing the bore wells in the absence of direction from the department. He also asked him why programmes, which were approved by the department, were not supervised.

Mr. Revanna said that he had received a number of complaints regarding payments made by the gram, taluk, and zilla panchayats for the same work.

The deputy CEO said that those responsible for the "misappropriation" of funds had been suspended. Mr. Revanna said that stringent action should also be initiated against them. He also directed the CEO to submit a report on the misappropriation of funds by the executive officers within 15 days.

Investigations

He said that he had received complaints about how officials showed the implementation of works only in the records since 2001. Cases of this nature would be handed over to the Corps of Detectives (CoD) for investigation, he added.

He directed the CEO to augment the drinking water supply in the district and inspect all the taluk and gram panchayats in the next fifteen days and submit a report. He instructed the Deputy Director of Public Instruction (DDPI) to complete the distribution of uniforms to children at the earliest. He was also disappointed with the Child Development Officers for not visiting the anganwadis even once in three years.

Misappropriation

Regarding the misuse of funds under the Ashraya scheme, he said that the authorities had paid twice for an Ashraya house in Holenarsipur taluk and directed the authorities to recover the money if the payment was made illegally.

Mr. Revanna expressed displeasure over the failure in setting up centres to purchase jowar and directed the authorities to take elected representative of the region into confidence while setting up procuring centres. He was surprised when the Deputy Director of Horticulture, Pampapathi, said that they had spent Rs. 15 lakhs on horticulture farms in the district and received an income of Rs. 12 lakhs. He directed him to develop government farms under the food-for-work scheme.

When the authorities of the Fisheries Department said that of the 3,339 tanks, only 114 tanks had been developed in the district in the last few years and the taluk panchayats had not developed the rest, Mr. Revanna directed the CEO to look into the matter.

Elephant menace

Referring to the increase in elephant menace in Arakalgud and Sakleshpur taluks, he said that he would convene a high-level meeting of forest officials in Bangalore to discuss the issue.

Expressing his displeasure over the inaction of officials concerned in protecting the roads, he said that Regional Transport Authorities (RTA), the Public Works Department (PWD), and Mines and Geology Department (MGD) had failed to save the roads. Though 250 loads of sand had been transported through Holenarsipur, the authorities concerned had not initiated any action against the "law breakers," he alleged.

He directed the Deputy Commissioner to form a team of officials of the RTO, PWD, and MGD, to initiate action against lorries with heavy loads. The Assistant Commissioner, Hassan Sub-Division, Manjula, sought the help of police in seizing the boats that mined sands in the Hemavathi.

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