Those responsible for uncapped borewells to face criminal action

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, Apr 25, 2017: The Udupi  District administration will register criminal cases against those concerned if there is any loss of life due to uncapped defunct borewells, DC Priyanka Mary Francis warned on April 24, Monday.

The DC directed officials concerned to re-ensure that all such borewells across the district are duly capped to prevent recurrence of incidents of children falling in to them. Gram panchayat officials should provide information of such borewells to the government, she said.

Taking part in monthly KDP meeting that Dinakar Babu, president, Udupi Zilla Panchayat chaired, DC said owners of land where the borewell is sunk and the company tasked in doing so are liable and responsible for capping ones that fail. The warning comes in wake of the latest incident where Kaveri Ajit Madar, six, fell in to an open borewell at Zunjarwad village of Athani taluk in Belagavi district, leading to renewed vigil across the state on this ubiquitous issue.


The DC also directed executive officers of taluk panchayats and taluk health officials to submit a report on the efficacy of eight pure drinking water units set up across the district. She wanted to know if they are functioning properly and if there has been any perceptible change in the health status of people served by these units prior to and after the units were commissioned. This will give a clear indicator of the success or otherwise of drinking water projects, DC said.


Directing all department heads to purchase stationery and other items required for their respective departments through government e-market for the current fiscal without fail, Priyanka Francis also instructed them to ensure that provident fund amount of all employees working on contract in their respective departments is deducted at source and remitted to the respective PF accounts of employees. She reminded them that it is their bounden duty to do so.

Seeking explanation from department heads for not reaching targets fixed during 2016-17, the DC, who is also the in-charge CEO of Udupi Zilla Panchayat directed them to ensure that targets for the current fiscal is met without fail. Dinakar Babu, Sheela K Shetty, vice-president ZP, chairpersons of standing committees Babu Shetty, Shashikanth Padubidri, Uday S Kotyan, deputy secretary Nagesh Raikar and chief planning officer Srinivas Rao were present.