mangalore today

Angry exchanges at ZP meet, over funds


Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Mar 28, 2018: The announcement of Assembly elections spurred the Congress and the BJP members in the Zilla Panchayat to launch hot arguments against each other over funds not being released for drinking water schemes in Dakshina Kannada.


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During the Zilla Panchayat general meeting chaired by president Meenakshi Shanthigodu on March 27, Tuesday, Zilla Panchayat executive engineer said that the proposal on new drinking water schemes have not been approved by the chief engineer’s office. The state-level scheme sanctioning committee (SLSSC) in its meeting has not approved any new works in the state.

The BJP members Janardhan Gowda, Sucharitha Shetty, Dhanalakshmi and others alleged that the funds released under various heads for drinking water projects have been utilised to pay the spillover works. The state government has failed to release a single paisa for the drinking water projects in the district in the last two years, they added.

Further, Sucharitha Shetty accused the ministers and MLAs of the district of failing to get grants for the Zilla Panchayat to take up new works related to drinking water. “I could not sink a single borewell in my constituency in the last two years. The state government has done injustice to the Zilla Panchayat by not releasing grants for new works related to supply of drinking water,” she complained.

Details  :  Enraged over the accusations, Congress member Mamatha Gatti demanded details of the funds released by the state government for drinking water projects in the district.

However, the ruling BJP members continued their allegations against the state government. The executive engineer said that Rs 29.46 crore has been sanctioned in 2017-18 and a Rs 1-crore bill is pending for clearance for the works. When he tried to speak on the release of grants for the task force, the BJP members interrupted and said they did not want to know of the grants released for task force, which is headed by MLA.

President Meenakshi Shanthigodu too said that in spite of 29 departments coming under the Panchayat, the grants are released for the MLAs. In such a scenario what was the need for a Zilla Panchayat members, she asked. In spite of the state government according Cabinet ranking for the Zilla Panchayat president, it has not made a difference, she added.

SSLC question papers  :  Member Manjula Mave asked about the goof-up in SSLC examination on Day One, when fresh candidates were given question papers of repeater candidates and vice versa at an unaided school at Konaje, DDPI Shivaramaiah said that officials realised the goof-up soon after the examination, They called all the students back and conducted a re-exam. “We have transferred all staff on duty at the centre and deputed new persons. All precautionary measures have been taken to ensure that such mistakes do not recur,” he assured.

The meeting was convened till noon and the proceedings of the meeting were not noted down following the announcement of Assembly elections and the code of conduct coming into force.