Minister for Planning and Statistics and Coastal Development Authority (CDA) Chairman D Sudhakar said that a proposal to upgrade CDA into a board will be submitted during the upcoming legislature session.
Addressing reporters at DC hall on Saturday, he said, “At present, there are no guidelines for the Authority to take up works. If CDA is upgraded as a Board, then it will have more legal strength.”
He added that the Congress government is giving priority to implement guarantee schemes as promised in the election manifesto. Efforts will be made to release more funds to CDA.
Sudhakar said that funds of CDA should be utilised for fisheries, construction of footbridges, development of schools and not for laying of roads among others. CDA has received a grant of Rs 30 crore during the previous year. Rs 15.50 crore was released in previous March, he said.
But 90 per cent of the funds were utilised for road development. Development works will be taken up on PPT model and focus will be on providing facilities for fisherwomen, building foot and hanging bridges and setting up dry fish curing yards.
CDA secretary Pradeep D’Souza said that there is a demand for constructing more than 350 footbridges in three districts. A proposal for Rs 25 crore was submitted. MLC Manjunath Bhandary sought to know why Rs 1.50 crore from CDA was utilised for Parashurama Theme Park in Karkala.