Karnataka - Udupi   

Small-savings agents to get incentives due to them

By Our Staff Correspondent

UDUPI, JAN. 18. The Minister for Science and Technology, Small Savings and State Lotteries, Basavaraj Horatti, has said that the Government will pay two years' incentive to small-savings agents during the current financial year.

He was speaking after inaugurating a function to distribute incentives to small-savings agents organised by the Department of Small Savings here today.

Mr. Horatti said there are 40,000 small-savings agents in the State. But they have not been paid incentives for three years.

Every year, an incentive of Rs. 40 crores is given to the agents. The Government plans to clear the incentive backlog of the past two years, he said.

Officials warned

Some agents were forced to use influence to get their incentive.

This practice has been stopped. Incentives, henceforth, will be given on the basis of seniority of the agents.

An exception would be made in deserving cases such as ill health. The officers of the department have been warned against harassing the agents, he said.

From now the incentive cheques would be distributed at the Deputy Commissioner's office in the district headquarters. The programme to distribute 306 cheques to the agents held here today was the first such programme in the State, the Minister said.

The target for small savings in the State is Rs. 2,600 crores. Already, 90 per cent of the target has been reached. The target has been revised to Rs. 3,000 crores to be attained by March 31, he said.

Puttaswamy, Assistant Director of the Department of Small Savings, welcomed the gathering.

The Brahmavar MLA, K. Jayaprakash Hegde, presided over the function. T. Sham Bhatt, Deputy Commissioner, proposed a vote of thanks. K. Raghupati Bhat, MLA, was present.

Science centres

Mr. Horatti later told presspersons that the Government will set up science centres in all the district headquarters.

Sixteen districts already have science centres. In addition to these, high quality science centres will be set up in the divisional headquarters in Bangalore, Mysore, Gulbarga and Belgaum and in Mangalore and Davangere.

These high quality centres will provide additional inputs. The aim of the science centres is to inculcate love for science among students, he said.

Two science parks will be set up in the State. One will be established on 100 acres of land at Hesaraghatta in Bangalore at a cost of Rs. 70 crores.

The other will come up on 50 acres of land on the Karnatak University campus in Dharwad at a cost of Rs. 6.5 crores, he said.

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