Madikeri: The performance of the Education and Health Departments in Kodagu district came under sharp focus at the Karnataka Development Programme (KDP) review meeting here on Monday.

President of the zilla panchayat H.S. Ashok pulled up officials of the

Education Department for not making efforts to register property of schools, which were donated by philanthropists in the past, in the name of the schools.

Vice-president B.C. Neelamma blamed the officials of the Department for the lapses. President of the zilla panchayat standing committee on Health and Education V.P. Shashidhar and Kannada Jagruti Samiti member T.P. Ramesh alleged that in spite of giving instructions to the officials five months ago, the process of obtaining RTC in the name of the schools was not followed up.

Cut in funds

Mr. Ramesh took exception to the cut in funds under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan to the district this year, saying the cuts were made based on the Nanjundappa Committee recommendations that Kodagu was a developed district.

Mr. Shashidhar said the District Health Officer and his team was not interested in serving the community. He sought to know from the DHO as to what action was taken against two doctors working in the Polibetta Community Health Centre for abstaining themselves unauthorisedly.

Mr. Ashok said the issue of alleged misuse of Rs. 20 lakh to put up chain-link fencing around the 50-acre horticulture area, near the Harangi reservoir, would be inquired into by the panchayat. The Panchayati Raj engineering wing had executed the work. The fence no longer exists.

Mr. Ashok asked Deputy Director of Horticulture K. Suresh to look into the issue of encroachment of the horticulture farm areas in Madalapura and Hudgur, alleging politically influential persons were involved in it.

Mr. Ramesh and Mr. Shashidhar took exception to the replies provided by officials that no child labour case was detected in Kodagu recently. Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer K. Sundar Naik asked officials of the Social Welfare and Women and Child Departments to look into the issue.

Replying to a question that farmers were being forced to pay up for enrolling under the Yashasvini insurance scheme of the Government, Deputy Registrar of Cooperative Societies Sridhar denied that farmers were being forced to accept the scheme. He said the district might not meet the target of 1.5 lakh registrations. As on date, 36,000 members had enrolled as members and it could touch a maximum of 50,000 by June 30, which was an extended deadline for registrations.

Joint Director, Department of Agriculture, Devadas said seeds and fertilizers were being provided to farmers in time.

On the rehabilitation of evacuees of the Harangi project, municipal tahsildar P.P. Tulasi said lands acquired for the purpose at Attur would have to be declared a "revenue village" by the State Government.

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