Officials lambasted for negligent attitude

District In-charge Minister Sa Ra Mahesh took lethargic officials to task during the KDP (Karnataka Development Programme) meeting held at the Old Fort Hall on Thursday.

Officials from PWD, Mines and Geology Department, Ambedkar Development Authority, Devraj Urs Corporation, Forest Department and Housing and Food Departments received strict warning from the minister for their negligent attitude.

Relief materials wasted

MLA M P Appacchu Ranjan said that the food materials sent to the floods victims in Kodagu are perishing. “Lentils and biscuits stored in the warehouse are infested with worms. The food materials have been wasted,” he said.

The MLA also expressed his discomfort on the inordinate delay in the rehabilitation works.

Mahesh contacted Urban Development and Housing Minister U T Khader and obtained the latter’s consent to increase the limit of houses from 50 to 100.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Jagadish said that the construction of houses has begun in Made, Karnangeri and Madapura. Work on electrification and borewell drilling has started in Madapur, he added.

Zilla Panchayat president B A Harish requested the minister to provide roads to the people of areas where the roads were destroyed during landslides.

MLA K G Bopaiah complained that the rent allowance has not been provided to the victims of Sampaje area.

Forest officials blamed

The elected representatives meanwhile alleged that the Forest Department officials have been posing hurdles to clear the trees which have collapsed due to landslides. The land owners should be permitted to sell the trees, they insisted.

Conservator of Forests Manjunath, however, said that only the trees which have fallen in the sites of the respective land owners could be sold. The trees accumulated in the river banks could not be sold, he explained.

The district in-charge minister expressed his disappointment over the working style of forest officials. “The files submitted to the Forest Department are not moving. I will speak to the chief minister regarding the problem on the sale of trees and also on the desilting of Harangi reservoir,” he promised.

‘PWD engineer useless’

Furious over the non-payment of bills to the contractors by the PWD, the minister lambasted executive officer Ibrahim and called him a useless fellow. He has every reason to be suspended, the minister said and directed Ibrahim to clear the bills soon, along with completing the works within three months.

After the lunch break, the minister sought details from the PWD executive engineer on the measures initiated against the contractor who had abruptly stopped the work on Kodava Heritage building.

Ibrahim answered that legal consultation is being carried out on lodging a case against the contractor. Dissatisfied with the reply, the minister asked the executive engineer to leave the meeting hall. Left with no choice, the official obliged.

It was decided in the meeting to lodge a criminal case on the contractor. Disciplinary action would be initiated against the PWD official if found guilty, the meeting resolved.

‘BJP follows the suitcase culture’

“JD(S) does not follow suit case culture like the BJP,” said Kodagu District In-charge Minister Sa Ra Mahesh.

Speaking to reporters, he responded to a comment made by a BJP leader who stated that in the current government, a minister’s post is given to those who carry money in suitcase.

Sa Ra Mahesh said that the Opposition has been frequently making predictions on the fall of the coalition government and they will continue to do so. However, the government will last for its tenure, he added.