REVIEWING SITUATION: Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy (second from left), Chief Secretary B.K. Das (extreme left), Health Minister R. Ashok (third from left) and Primary and Secondary Education Minister Basavaraj Horatti at the meeting on chikungunya in Bangalore on Wednesday. — Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

BANGALORE: Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Wednesday warned civil servants that the Government would not tolerate any laxity on their part in executing development programmes and taking up relief measures in the rain-hit regions.

Addressing a two-day conference of secretaries to Government, deputy commissioners of districts and zilla panchayat chief executive officers here, Mr. Kumaraswamy instructed Revenue Department officials to take precautionary measures to safeguard the lives and property of people in the flood-affected areas of Belgaum, Bijapur, Bagalkot and the coastal districts. They should prepare reports with details of funds and the timeframe required to take up relief measures and submit them to the Finance Department.

Since it had been raining heavily in many parts of the State, many reservoirs were nearly full, he said.

The two-day conference has been convened primarily to discuss the spread of chikungunya in the State and measures to combat the viral disease.

Officials' response

The Chief Minister said the district- and taluk-level administration was not responding to the people's grievances and there were delays in implementing welfare schemes, particularly on the part of the Social Welfare Department. He had been receiving complaints from the people during the `Janata Darshan' programme, which could be solved at the taluk level itself.

What was the necessity of having officials at the taluk and district levels if they were unable to address the general problems of the people, he asked.

People from Bagalkot and Bijapur districts came to his `Janata Darshan' seeking a solution to their woes. The Chief Minister told the taluk- and district-level officials to visit villages two days in a week to get firsthand information about the difficulties faced by the people.

Chikungunya

Referring to chikungunya, Mr. Kumaraswamy said the disease had spread widely across the State and it was a matter of concern for the Government. Unhygienic conditions in villages had led to spread of the disease.

The officials of the Health and Family Welfare Department and the deputy commissioners should suggest to the Government what steps needed to be taken to prevent the spread of chikungunya.

Supply of fertilizer

Though he had instructed officials of the Agriculture Department to take steps to ensure supply of seeds and fertilizers at subsidised rates to farmers on time during the kharif season, many of them had not received the vital inputs. The seed subsidy for small and marginal farmers had been raised from 50 per cent to 75 per cent.

The district officials should inform the Secretary to the department about the problems faced by farmers, Mr. Kumaraswamy said.

On the shortage of fertilizers, the Chief Minister said he would take up the issue with Union Minister for Fertilizers Ramvilas Paswan soon.

Ration cards

On the delay in distribution of ration cards to eligible families, the Chief Minister said that it was difficult for the Government to provide answers to the people if the authorities concerned delayed issuing the cards any further.

The Food and Civil Supplies Department had to set a deadline to issue permanent cards. The poor were unaware of the schemes of the Department of Social Welfare also, Mr. Kumaraswamy said.

Ministers, Chief Secretary B.K. Das and senior officials were present.

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