Karnataka - Mangalore   

Minister unhappy over poor utilisation of funds for SCs, STs

— Photo: R. Eswarraj

Making a point:Minister for Social Welfare and Prisons A. Narayanaswamy (second from left) speaking at the review meeting in Mangalore on Saturday.

Mangalore: Social Welfare and Prisons Minister A. Narayanaswamy on Saturday expressed displeasure over poor utilisation of funds for the welfare of Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) in urban and panchayat bodies in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.

Reviewing the progressed achieved in the implementation of welfare schemes for SCs and STs, and other backward classes, Mr. Narayanaswamy said a special cell in his department was being formed to look into the reports of expenditure for 2009-10 from all districts.

Criminal complaints would be filed against the officials responsible for under-utilisation of funds, before the State Police's Civil Rights and Enforcement wing, which would investigate the matter. “I want all officials to cooperate with the police and provide them necessary documents,” he said.

Much of the Minister's three-hour review was centred on utilisation of State Finance Commission (SFC) grants and the 22.75 per cent fund for the welfare of SCs and STs.

The Minister sought an explanation from K. Shivarame Gowda, Chief Executive Officer of the Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat, when an official stated that Adyar Gram Panchayat in Bantwal taluk had only spent 9 per cent of the funds.

Mr. Gowda said he had issued two notices against the officials concerned seeking explanations.

“We have such problems wherever women are secretaries (of gram panchayats),” he said.

To this, the Minister said: “Regardless of gender action should be stern.” The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes should not suffer because of the lapses of the officials, he added.

The Minister was not happy with the Mangalore City Corporation which spent only 48 per cent of the funds. He took corporation's Joint Commissioner Vijayakumari Shenoy to task for not giving details of SCs and STs who did not have houses. When he sought to know how many families did not have toilets, Ms. Shenoy said such a survey had not been done. “We have only given financial assistance to such families,” Ms. Shenoy said. Making payments would not help. Each household should have a toilet, the Minister said.

The Minister asked Ms. Shenoy to create separate files for 21 notified and un-notified slums that had details of the land where they were living. This would help in taking action to legalise their occupation. He asked Ms. Shenoy to file a criminal case against the agency that built the SC/ST hostel in Urva Market.

The Minister ordered suspension of district in-charge manager of B.R. Ambdekar Development Corporation Damodar Naik when corporation's Managing Director Sarfarz Khan pointed that the former did not show much interest in the implementation of schemes such as Ganga Kalyana. He asked Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Muthuraya to trace Patalappa, Integrated Tribal Development Project Officer, who has been accused of misappropriating Rs. 86 lakh.

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

Stories in this Section

Drain encroachment dominates Janaspandana
Minister unhappy over poor utilisation of funds for SCs, STs
Fighting for their right to earn a living

Copyright © 2011, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu