BCM Panel head irked, buck passing at meet, May 29

BCM Panel head irked, buck passing at meet, May 29

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, May 30, 2014: Karnataka State Legislative Backward Class and Minority Welfare Committee’s meeting held at the deputy commissioner’s office on May 29  was a blame game exercise, with each of the stakeholders passing the buck for the delay in land acquisition and construction of BCM hostels in DK district.

 

 

Presiding over the meeting, Committee Chairperson B R Yavagal took the officials to task for zero progress in getting the land sanctioned for the construction of pre metric and post metric hostels. Though the district administration has sanctioned 12 sites for post metric hostels, the work on building construction has not materialized. In addition, there is requirement for 14 sites and the minutes of the progress report showed the process of acquiring land is still not complete. Irked over this, the chairman said “it was three years ago the committee’s last meeting was convened, but the district administration has not yet sanctioned land,” and instructed the DC to act swiftly on the matter.

DK Deputy Commissioner A B Ibrahim assured of a special drive to identify and sanction land for the construction of hostels by June 30. Of all the post metric and pre metric BCM hostels, 39 hostels are functioning in their own buildings and 26 are functioning in rental buildings.

Committee member Mankala Subba Vaidya came down heavily on the officials for the delay in the construction of hostel buildings. In response, Zilla Panchayat CEO Tulsi Maddineni said that the ZP has written to the state sector for sanctioning the amount to construct the buildings, but has not received the reply. Countering her, BCM Department Joint Director Iqbal Ahmed said that the amount could be released only after the Karnataka Residential Educational Institutions Society (KREIS) identified an agency for the construction of the buildings.  “Rs 172 crore fund is available with the department for constructing buildings in the district. But the fund has not been released as the KREIS is delaying the process,” he said.

District Social Welfare department officer expressed his inability to intervene in the matter as the construction of post metric and pre metric hostels comes under the jurisdiction of KREIS. “Our role is only rubber stamping” he rued. The DC added that there was no district or taluk level officer appointed by KREIS to monitor the construction work of hostel buildings.

Committee Member P Rajeev stressed the need to review the agency to look into the construction of hostels, owing to the KREIS’s slow poor ways of functioning and discuss the matter at a proper level.

Delays : The committee members were taken by surprise when they realised that 126 students are accommodated in one room in the makeshift hostel of Morarji Desai Residential School in Puttur. A total of 225 students are accommodated in a three storeyed rentaed building as the school lacks a hostel and the new building is under construction. KREIS officers who had earlier assured of completing the work by June, have now postponed the completion date to August 30.

Meeting - Hour and a half Delayed :   The meeting which started one and half hour behind schedule, began with the Committee Chairperson B RYavagal taking the deputy commissioner to task for not considering the meeting ‘seriously.’ “The DC has not taken the meeting seriously. There was nobody to receive and guide us. Proper arrangements have not been made. This should not be repeated,” he warned.

The social welfare officer complained that workers staff working in BCM hostels have not been receiving salaries from the last 10 months. He said he had already sent a report on this. Regarding basic facilities in BCM hostels, already Rs 13 lac has been sanctioned for solar water heaters, but they have not been installed yet, he said. It appears that this whole matter is in a mess with money wasted and no results to show, and the sufferers are the already suffering. No responsibility is fixed on any official nor any answer ability. The DC also urged for a separate Muslim BCM hostel for post-metric students.

MLA Mohiuddin Bava, Sullia MLA S Angara and other members of the committee were present  at this meeting.