Karnataka - Madikeri   

Slow progress for Suvarna Gramodaya Yojana

MADIKERI: The Suvarna Gramodaya Yojana of the State Government to develop villages has come to a standstill in Virajpet taluk of Kodagu while it is making slow progress in Madikeri and Somwarpet taluks.

The aims of the scheme are to improve living standards in the selected villages; promote land development, education, health and medical facilities; provide opportunities for unemployed youth in non-agriculture schemes; and ensure community development through self-help groups and by constituting cultural associations.

The Government had announced earlier that it would select 1,000 villages every year for the scheme to provide maximum benefits in a short span of time. But it has not worked in the district.

Development of roads, drinking water supply, creating new layouts by identifying families living below and above poverty line, providing electricity to all houses and community centres, setting up health centres, promoting education and information technology, disposal of garbage, construction of toilets, watershed development programmes and development of existing tanks are also included in the scheme.

Comprehensive development of rural areas was to be achieved with cooperation among government and non-government organisations and private sector participants.

Karike, Melchembu and Sampaje villages were chosen in Madikeri taluk, and Rs. 2.90 crore was sanctioned to develop them during 2006-2007.

In Somwarpet taluk, four villages were chosen under the scheme: Mullusoge, Chowdlu, Torenur and Kodlipet, and a sum of Rs. 4.90 crore was sanctioned.

Work on various schemes in these villages is going on at a slow pace. Work in Virajpet has not started since the four villages selected initially — Kutta, Halligattu, Nokya and Hebbale — were replaced at the alleged insistence of an elected representative.

A fresh list of 10 villages was announced by the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department on December 1, 2006.

The 10 villages were T. Shettigeri, Ammathi-Karmadu, Heggala, Parakatageri, Hisodlur, West/East Nemmale, Kurchi, Nalavatoklu, Nalkeri and Kolathodu-Bygodu. Earlier, Rs. 4.70 crore was sanctioned for the four villages selected.

The gram panchayats of these villages have gone to court against the move to change the selected villages. Therefore, work could not start in Virajpet taluk, sources in the Virajpet Zilla Panchayat said.

In 2006-07, Rs. 1.65 crore was released to all 11 villages, of which Rs. 1.05 crore has been spent for various schemes in Madikeri and Somwarpet taluks.

However, Rs. 15 lakh released to each of the four initially selected villages in Virajpet taluk has not been utilised, according to the sources.

On June 13 this year, the panchayat received another instalment of Rs. 3.24 crore for the work, but it may again not be spent.

The Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department has also not announced the names of villages for inclusion in the scheme in the district for this year.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Slow progress for Suvarna Gramodaya Yojana
Restore status of ‘bane’ land: Palemar

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu