Mangaluru : Chairing the monthly KDP review meeting at the Nethravathi Hall of the Zilla Panchayat in Mangaluru on Tuesday, she said that there have been complaints from the public regarding the collection of money for the water distributed through tankers. It is the duty of the gram panchayats to provide water to people, she said.

The deputy commissioner has directed the executive officers of taluk panchayats to carry out drinking water projects in their respective taluks, in war footing.

Vice President Kasturi Panja said that the panchayat development officers should respond to the problems of the public. Negligence over supply of drinking water will not be tolerated, she warned.

Chief Executive Officer P I Srividya directed the officials concerned to complete the works on anganwadi buildings before end of this month.

“The beneficiaries of housing schemes should be compulsorily selected in gram sabhas. The list of beneficiaries should be sanctioned only after the taluk panchayat executive officer inspects the video footage of the gram sabha. There is no provision to drill borewells within the 500-metre radius of any other drinking water source,” the officer instructed.

She, meanwhile, noted that, in spite of orders, rate cards are not displayed in hospitals. The CEO directed the district health officer to carry out an inspection and to submit a report in this connection, within a week.

The district health officer said that the licence of the hospitals, that fail to display the rate card, will be suspended.

The CEO sought explanation from the DHO regarding the denial of hospitals to provide free treatment under the labourers’ insurance scheme.

The DHO responded that the problem has emerged as the bills of the insurance companies are due. The CEO directed the DHO to rectify the problem soon.