Udupi : Former minister Vinay Kumar Sorake has said that drinking water should be given utmost priority.

Sorake said that the taluk has received an approval for 11 vented dams of which seven are complete and four are under construction. Four ponds too have been developed, he said.

At the taluk-level quarterly KDP meeting, he said that 37 wells have been allocated in the past four years in the taluk. A task force meeting would be held to allot funds to take up drinking water programmes.

Taluk panchayat standing committee president Neetha Gurauraj said that owing to salt water there is a drinking water problem in Padubidri. Ponds in Beedanakere in Katpadi, Kallambettu in Anjaru and Madmalpond in Padubidri are under construction, he said.

As many as 12,923 applications have been accepted from homeless needy of which, 2,984 houses are being allotted under 94C while 9,939 applications are under verification. As many as 1,129 applications have been received under Basava Vasati Yojana. Of these, 703 title deeds have also been issued. As many as 179 applications have been received under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana of which 14 applications are considered on the basis of 2011 census inputs.

The officer said that for the year 2016-17, as many as 469 houses have been allotted and in another one month, around 395 houses will be given away to beneficiaries.

PWD assistant executive engineer D V Hegde said that a stretch of 278 kilometres is being upgraded in the district. He said approvals are due for upgrading two state highways in the taluk.

Sorake directed officials to look into the fire accident at Nandikuru, where a high-tension wire caused a short circuit. He said old wires in the line are creating havoc. He instructed officials to assess the loss and instructed officials to grant compensation at the earliest.