Addressing the District Vigilance and Monitoring Committee meeting on Wednesday at ZP hall, he said that the step has been taken up by the Government following several complaints of misuse of funds under MGNREGS. Any work above Rs 1 lakh will have to be approved by Taluk Panchayat henceforth.
He said that further the job card holders will have to get their photograph revalidated if they want to work during current year. They will have to provide their bank account numbers mandatorily. During 2009-10, as many as 83,595 households had registered under the MGNREGS in the district and job cards were distributed to 82,567 households. As many as 34,377 households had demanded employment and jobs were given to 34,374 households. As many as 3,394 families completed 100 days of work.
Initially reviewing progress of MGNREGS works, MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, who chaired the meet, took officials to task for providing wrong statistics to him. Taking details on MLA’s/MP’s funds utilised so far, Kateel raised objection to the fact that funds released during DV Sadananda Gowda’s term too have remained unused. He said that as far as calamity relief funds are concerned, funds released about 4 to 5 years ago have not yet been utilised. He said that it is due to the failure of the Executive Engineer in supervising the works that the funds have remained unused.
PMGSY
A proposal of 1,351 roads summing upto 3,493 kms has been sent to the Government under the Prime Minister’s Gram Sadak Yojana’s District Rural Road Plan. Giving out details of this project, Engineer concerned said that survey works have been completed and the project aims at providing connectivity to remote unconnected roads by developing interior existing roads. Likewise 508 roads (1052 kms) have been identified in Mangalore taluk, 293 roads (999.95 kms) have been identified in Belthangady, 325 roads (692.17 kms) in Bantwal, 107 roads (298.9 kms) have been identified in Sullia and 112 roads (449.9 kms) have been identified in Puttur.
The official informed that as many as 138 roads have been sanctioned under the PMGSY till its Phase 8 covering length of 810.03 km during 2009-10. As many as 18 roads have been completed covering a length of 739.63 kms .
No water for MRPL
Kateel said that MRPL has gobbled a road laid under PMGSY at a cost of Rs 1 crore in the area for public use. The issue was raised during the last meeting but no action has been taken so far, he said. Taking details from official concerned, MP ordered him to submit a report on the same within 15 days and give results by next meet.
He said that either the company has to pay the amount spent on the road to the Government or make alternative road. “If the company fails to do either of it, then I will see to it that not even a drop of water is released to the company from Sarapady,” Kateel declared.
Vacancies
The CEO said that the there are several vacancies for the post of Gram Panchayat Secretaries and Panchayat Development Officers (PDO) in the district. In Mangalore taluk, 38 posts of Secretaries and PDOs each have been filled while 11 each are vacant.
In Bantwal, 37 Secretaries have been posted and 10 posts are vacant. As many as 33 PDO posts have been filled and 14 are vacant. In Sullia, 11 Secretaries are working and 16 posts are vacant while 19 PDOs have been posted and 8 are yet to be posted. In Puttur, 31 posts of Secretaries have been filled and 6 are vacant as against 21 PDOs working and 14 vacancies. In Belthangady, 33 Secretaries have been appointed but 10 posts are still vacant. In this taluk, there is a need to appoint 22 PDOs as only 21 posts have been filled. He said that 9 GPs in the including Naringana, Sisila, Malavanthige, Bandaru, Marthanda have neither have GP Secretaries nor do they have PDOs. ZP President Santhosh Kumar Bhandary among others were present.
DH News Service