Udupi : Jayamala, Women and Child Development Minister, on Wednesday directed the CEO of the Udupi Zilla Panchayat, Sindhu B. Rupesh, to take immediate action against the Panchayat Development Officer (PDO) of Belman Gram Panchayat for demolishing five houses at Jantra hamlet in Karkala taluk.

Earlier, residents from the five houses at Jantra met Ms. Jayamala at the Zilla Panchayat Hall after the completion of the tri-monthly Karnataka Development Programme meeting, and said that though they had ration card and other relevant documents, their houses had been demolished by the PDO.

They were being needlessly harassed by the PDO, they complained.

Ms. Jayamala assured them that they would be given alternative sites and their houses would be built under a government scheme. A complaint of harassment would be booked against the PDO, she said.