MADIKERI: The District Planning Committee (DPC) in Kodagu has been revived with the announcement of three sub-committees that will formulate a development plan for the district keeping in view long-term benefits.

Chief Executive Officer of the Zilla Panchayat K. Sundar Naik told members on Thursday that the committee would make a plan for 2020, for the all round development of the district in areas of agriculture, horticulture, industries, commerce, basic amenities, housing, health, drinking water, food, education and others. The plan should not depend on funds available but must be a far-sighted, Mr. Naik said.

For this, the zilla panchayat, three taluk panchayats, 98 gram panchayats, the Madikeri City Municipal Council and three town panchayats would have to prepare development plans. All these would be taken into consideration to formulate a comprehensive plan for the district, he added. The annual action plans of all these bodies would be approved in tune with the comprehensive plan of the committee. Mr. Naik stressed the need for the gram panchayats, taluk panchayats and the zilla panchayat to work in tandem to achieve the desired results. Priority should be on the development of rural areas, he added.

President of the zilla panchayat H.S. Ashok, who presided over the meeting, announced the formation of three sub-committees, clubbing together government departments, to prepare a plan for the district. They are: Production Committee, Fundamental Facilities Committee and Human Resource Development Committee. The last committee was formed after combining the Education and Health Committee and the Social and Special Zone Committee.

Joint Director of Agriculture would be the member-secretary of the Production Committee. It would involve departments such as agriculture, horticulture, sericulture, animal husbandry and others. The Fundamental Facilities Committee would have transport, electricity, irrigation, roads, bridges and the Executive Engineer, Panchayati Raj Engineering Wing, would be its member-secretary. The Human Resource Development Committee would have the department of public instructions, social welfare, backward and minorities, tribal welfare, education. The DDPI would be its member-secretary, Mr. Ashok said.

Funds for formulating planning at the gram panchayat, taluk panchayats and zilla panchayat levels, related to survey works, generating awareness programmes and others would come through the annual contribution of different bodies. Each gram panchayat would contribute Rs. 5,000, taluk panchayat Rs. 25,000, zilla panchayat Rs. 2 lakh, town municipal council and town panchayats Rs. 7,500 each and the city municipal council Rs. 1 lakh, Mr. Naik said.

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