Udupi : District In-charge Minister Pramod Madhwaraj has directed officials to ensure that the beneficiaries are offered the privilege to dig wells under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).

Speaking at the KDP quarterly meeting, the minister said there is an ample fund under the MGNREGS and added he would recommend action against officials who fail to utilise the funds under the programme. “A multi-publicity scheme should be adopted as the beneficiaries should be told about the various possibilities under MGNREGS. Pamphlets should be distributed and door-to-door campaigns taken up to create awareness among the public on the programme. The people can take up the programme under horticulture, forest and also other personal projects under MGNREGS,” he said.

Priyanka Mary Francis, who has been promoted as deputy commissioner of the district on Tuesday, said as Zilla Panchayat CEO that the action plans are simplified.

The other issue that was discussed in the meeting was the expiry of the present Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) on January 31. Until the new plan is formulated, no projects and programmes aiding development can be envisaged.

The licences are not issued since February 1. The mapping has to be done for any further move. The revision is done once in 20 years, the officer said and added that if the Karnataka Coastal Zone Management Authority (KCZMA) consent the approval of licences and other development projects, it would be possible to do so.

The minister said as many as 12 proposals demanding concession on the lines of Kerala and Goa are sent to the Central government by Karnataka. He assured to hold talks with KCZMA and see that the latter approves the normal functioning of the department.

MLC Prathapchandra Shetty said that the HUDCO loan is waived and the district has made satisfactory progress under housing schemes.

Madhwaraj said that he has requested the Irrigation Department secretary to transfer the funds released under Keresanjeevini programme for maintenance of vented dams. He also instructed the senior officials to take up stringent action against the juniors who fail to offer drinking water in the rural areas. Francis said that help lines are started to tackle the drinking water woes.

The PWD executive engineer assured to complete the works initiated under the Department by March 15. Of the three bridges taken under the programme, two have been completed. The DDPI said that Rs 242.52 lakh is spent on various projects enabling school development and construction of class rooms and other basic infrastructural programmes. The DHO said that 75 tuberculosis cases and 30 H1N1 cases have been reported in the district. Out of the 30 H1N1 cases reported, two deaths have occurred. The district is in the forefront in the state for achieving 75% under MR vaccination.

Zilla Panchayat member Babu Shetty expressed dissatisfaction over the sea erosion taking place at Maravanthe harbour owing to the boulders removed from the area. The officer said that the boulders were actually meant for the construction of Koderi bunder and the boulders were put for temporary purpose during emergency. The earlier estimated break water alignment has gone wrong and newly designed alignment is considered. The sea opening is widened and 100 metres of extra work is being estimated.

The minister instructed Francis to form a technical team under her for the inspection and report should be given in 15-20 days.