Government has earmarked Rs. 600 crore for development: Jarakiholi

Government has earmarked Rs. 600 crore for development: Jarakiholi

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, August 13: Balachandra Jarakiholi, the minister for municipal administration, said that Chief Minister B. S. Yeddyurappa has earmarked funds of Rs. 600 crore to implement “Nagarutna,” a government scheme to develop municipal corporations, town panchayats, and city and town municipalities in the state in his inaugural address on the occasion of the two-day state conference of civic bodies and the platinum jubilee celebrations of Udupi City Municipality on Thursday. He added that all civic bodies will get an average of Rs. 5 – 6 crore under the scheme.

 

The minister said that he has come across several instances where government grants were distributed among councilors for development projects in their respective wards. He suggested that these funds should be distributed equally to some wards and the rest should be given preference for the following year. He declared that the civic bodies of Karwar, Mangalore, and Udupi have become models to other districts, owing to their different styles of working.

He expressed his appreciation of Udupi Municipality’s health insurance scheme for 1,800 identified SC/ST beneficiaries and urged other civic bodies to devise such useful schemes. He also assured the civic bodies that the recommendations of the two-day conference will be placed before the government and action will be taken on them.

Home Minister V. S. Acharya released “Abhivriddiyatta Daapugalu” and urged all the 814 municipalities in the state to achieve the highest standards by providing amenities such as 24-hour drinking water, electricity, better roads, drainage system, and water preservation. He also advised civic bodies to use various central and state government grants to mobilize revenue resources to provide better facilities for the public. He assured that the government will bring suitable amendments to the Municipal Act according to the results of the conference.

MP of Udupi-Chickmagalur D. V. Sadananda Gowda, Udupi MLA Raghupathy Bhat, CMC President Dinaker Shetty, MLA of Kaup Lalaji Mendon, Chairman of the Third Financial Commission A. G. Kodagi, Karnataka State Advisor A. Ravindra, DC Hemalatha, and others were present.