Karnataka - Hubli-Dharwad   

Grama Samvada: busy telephone lines leave them disappointed

Staff Correspondent

Many were unable to contact the Chief Minister despite repeated attempts

HUBLI: They had all come prepared and were enthusiastic about speaking to the Chief Minister over phone and see him answering their queries on television during "Grama Samvada," the video conferencing programme with Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy that was telecast live from Mysore on Saturday.

Mr. Kumaraswamy and some of the Ministers were stationed at a studio in Mysore.

In most of the taluk centres in Dharwad, Haveri and Gadag, elected representatives from Panchayat Raj institutions did not get a chance to speak to the Chief Minister as they were unable to get connected to him on the phone despite repeated attempts.

The programme was meant to cover all the 176 taluk centres in the State, and elected representatives of gram, taluk and zilla panchayats from all centres were trying to contact the Chief Minister at the same time. As a result, there were only few who succeeded in talking to Mr. Kumaraswamy.

Although adequate arrangements were made for "Grama Samvada," most of the elected representatives returned disappointed for they did not get a chance to put their questions to the Chief Minister.

Two elected representatives from Mishrikoti and Kundagol in Dharwad district got a chance to speak to the Chief Minister with regard to discrepancies in funds allocation for Panchayati Raj bodies. He also made an appeal for expediting work on the Malaprabha drinking water project.

Only one person from Haveri district could speak to the Chief Minister.

He sought powers for taluk panchayat members for identifying beneficiaries of Ashraya houses.

Panchayat members from Gadag district were quite unlucky. They got the connection twice, but it was disconnected before they could ask the question.

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