Mangaluru : MP Nalin Kumar Kateel directed the district health officer to instruct private medical colleges to depute doctors at least thrice a week to primary health centres to attend to cases related to vector-borne diseases.

He gave the directions following reports of vacancy of medical officers in the PHCs in the district. Speaking at the Dakshina Kannada District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee meeting here on Saturday, he said that as the number of vector-borne diseases has come down, the private medical college doctors or postgraduate medical students should be asked to visit at least thrice a week.

The MP directed the deputy commissioner to convene a meeting of private medical colleges to discuss the issue. “If they fail to depute doctors, then the authorities should initiate action against such medical colleges as rural service is mandatory,” warned Kateel.

DHO Dr Ramakrishna said that, out of 67 PHCs in the district, 10 posts of critical vacancies are lying vacant.

The official said that the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) deals with awareness creation about the harmful effects of tobacco use and about the Tobacco Control Laws.

The district will get a grant of Rs 39 lakh under the programme. A district Tobacco Control Cell will have to be constituted along with the setting up of Tobacco Cessation Centre at district hospital.

The official said that, under National Urban Health Mission, seven PHCs have been sanctioned to Mangaluru. “The land for five buildings has been identified and an estimate has been sent to the government for approval. We have written to the additional DC for sanctioning land for two buildings at Kulshekar and Kunjathbail,” he clarified.

The MP directed the ZP CEO to constitute a vigilance committee comprising members of the district Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee, to inspect the works undertaken under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). This is to ensure that the funds are not embezzled under the scheme. The committee can inspect at least five works in each taluks, said Kateel.

Zilla Panchayat Deputy Secretary Umesh said that, under the MGNREGS, Rs 20.58 crore has been utilised in the district. Labourers who complete 100 days of work under the MGNREGS will be given 10-day skill training programme.

Deputy Commissioner Dr K G Jagadeesh directed all the urban local bodies (ULBs) and gram panchayats to prepare comprehensive lists of financially weak families, who do not have houses, under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

“The last date for submitting the applications seeking houses is August 31. There is a need to give wide publicity for the housing scheme,” he said, and also directed the ULBs to conduct surveys of households that do not have toilets and submit reports within a week.

Under Swacch Bharath mission, a total of 464 applications have been received by the authorities seeking funds to construct toilets, of which, 296 applications have been approved and 132 toilets have been completed.

To a query on five Koraga families residing in a pathetic condition at Sulkeri in Belthangady, the deputy commissioner directed the ITDP official to build confidence in the families that they will not be evicted. The five Koraga families will not be asked to vacate unless they have been given land to construct houses by the authorities.

The official said that the Koraga family was residing in Shirlalu in the past and after eviction they came to Sulkeri.