Pics: Umesh Marpalli

Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (HB)

Udupi, Feb 21: Poor management of Varahi water project and sand extraction and its crises dominating the Karnataka  Development Programme (KDP) Review meeting proceedings at V S Acharya Auditorium here on Monday, February 20. 

District-in-charge Pramod Madhwaraj presided over the meeting.

Sand extraction and penalty

MLC Kota Srinivas Poojary sought permission from district authority to allow traditional sand mining, and impose an amount of fine on those activities."
Mining Department officer Kodandaramayya said the court hearing was held on January 5 and the verdict, awaited.

Chandrashekhar, executive engineer PWD, informed nearly 16 sand blocks marked as -CRZ are ready for auction. A proposal has been sent to the director on the bidding of blocks. There are two blocks each in Karkala and Kundapaura. As of now, 820 metric tonne sand from -CRZ has been extracted at Karkala and  2620 metric tonnes from two blocks in Kundapur. A total of 800 metric tonne of sand is available for sale. The rate per tonne has been brought down from Rs 960 to Rs 760.

ZP member Babu Shetty, president of Social Justic and standing committee said, "Nearly 25-35 loads of sand is being transported from this district to others. Quite a few government construction works have stopped due to a scarcity of sand.

Addressing the ASP Police security should be tightened in Shiroor and Haleyangadi check posts, as sand is illegally exported to other places from here.

Minister Madhwaraj said, "The extracted sand in the district should be used for Udupi only and must not go to neighbouring districts. Sand can be bought from other places.  The fine amount has been decreased from Rs 50,000 to Rs 30,000."

Based on the response from the supervisors of different departments, the minister said, "There is no sand crisis for housing schemes, Ashraya project, Varahi, Nirmiti Kendra projects. Now the CRZ issue is at Green bench in Chennai. So we need to wait for the judgement."

Coupon for Ration

There was a crowd gathered in front of the fair price shop at Barkur. Kota brought this issue to minister’s notice. Soon after, Madhwaraj called the supervisor of fair price shop to report at the KDP review meeting and instructed him to distribute groceries without taking coupons.

CRZ

"A new 21-point proposal has been sent on CRZ to form a model on par with Goa and Kerala. As per the gazette notification of central government, no permission should be given for constructing or repairing the houses in CRZ area. The validation for CRZ is closed on January 31. Karnataka State Coastal Management Committee is monitoring the CRZ issues," Madhwaraj said

Water Irrigation

One of the officials of Vatahi project pointed, “A leakage was found in the Rs 90-crore project where water was to be lifted from Varahi for agricultural land in Barkur. The delivery chamber was detected faulty. Along the Varahi pipeline, there are 25 check dams, 2 RDPI and one MI through which water is distributed, for irrigation.”

Minister Madhwaraj took the officer to task and asked for an immediate solution.

“If such high-cost Government project did not benefit farmers, the project is an utter waste,” complained MLC Pratapchandra Shetty.

"There is 16 TMC water available in Varahi The current water is enough for Udupi but not to Hejamady. A proposal has been sent to the state government to release development of water project instead of a fund for ‘Kere Sanjivini scheme'," MLC Kota said.

Minister Madhwaraj stressed that priority must be given to drinking water supply than for other projects.

Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA)

"Under RMSA scheme, approximately 36 building construction works have been taken up, out them six are will be ready by the end of February. One is pending in Uppunda. Most of the works are kept pending in Byndoor Constituency due to several reasons," director of PED.

Accidents on Highway

ASP Vishnuvardan describing the security system and said, "The police department has started a special drive to prevent overspeeding of LMV. They will conduct drink and drive test every Wednesday and Saturday in the district, and the department will more focus on reducing road accidents.”

Regarding tollgate, DC Venkatesh said, "We are following the instruction as given by the Union transport minister Gadkari. Exempting toll fee for local KA vehicles is impossible. Instead of exempting, a fixed amount of Rs 235 per month is proposed. Nearly 8.33 km of highway work is pending at Hejamady. DC has already called a meeting the public and leaders on February 25 regarding this issue."

Many problems like deemed forest, infrastructures to Koraga community, poor construction of dams, urban and rural roads, 94C/94CC were discussed in the meeting.

ZP CEO Priyanka Mary Francis, Sheela K Shetty, vice president, zilla panchayat, AC Shilpa Nag, Srinivas Shetty were present.