Mangaluru : District In-charge Minister B Ramanath Rai said several people have been misusing the compensation and other benefits given to endosulfan victims and directed the Health Department officials to subject such fake endosulfan victims to advanced medical tests.

Chairing the tri-monthly Karnataka Development Programme meeting at the Zilla Panchayat Auditorium in the city on Thursday, he told the officials to take measures to prevent artificial floods in the district. Proper measures should be taken to facilitate free flow of stormwater, he added.

Food and Civil Supplies Minister U T Khader said 68,000 households, which are not covered under the Ujjwala scheme of the Union government, will be given free LPG connections and gas stoves under ‘Anila Bhagya’ scheme of the state government.

Food and Civil Supplies Department deputy director Jayappa said 18,870 applications have been received in the district for new ration card. Among them, the verification of 10,500 applications is complete, he stated.
The district in-charge minister said that the Union government has stopped funding for Rashtriya Madyamika Shikshana Abhiyana in the state. Many high schools under the programme have no buildings of their own, he said.

DDPI Walter D’Mello said out of 350 teachers’ posts, 252 are vacant. Forty-one guest teachers are serving in high schools currently. The other vacant posts will be filled in due course, he added.

District surgeon Dr Rajeshwari Devi H R said Rs 5 crore has been released by the government for the renovation and restoration of District Wenlock Hospital. An amount of Rs 10 crore has been announced in the state budget for the purpose.

The government has reserved Rs 3 crore in the budget towards the upgrading of the 100 bedded advanced paediatrics centre to Child Health Institute.

The hospital has signed a memorandum of understanding with KMC Hospital towards building a surgical super speciality block of 1800 sqft area, OPD and an administrative block in three different phases. This apart, a medical super speciality block will be built at a cost of Rs 18.15 crore under PPP model and Rs 10 crore has been sanctioned by NABARD, she said.

District Health and Family Welfare officer (in-charge) Dr Sikandar Pasha said malaria cases have come down by 42% when compared to last year.

Zilla Panchayat Standing Committee Presidents Shahul Hameed and Sarvottam Gowda, Deputy Commissioner Dr K G Jagadeesha and Zilla Panchayat CEO Dr M R Ravi were present.