President of the Udupi Zilla Panchayat Upendra Nayak has requested the Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) to explore the possibility of starting a Volvo bus service to Kollur and Dharmasthala from Udupi.
He was presiding over the monthly Karnataka Development Programme (KDP) review meeting at the zilla panchayat, here on Firday.
Mr. Nayak said if the KSRTC were to introduce the Volvo service, it would help in improving connectivity among three important pilgrim centres of the district — Udupi, Kollur and Dharmasthala.
He also asked the officials to approach the Public Works Department over the land available for construction of a KSRTC bus stand in Udupi.
The existing KSRTC Bus Stand in the heart of the city was built by the Udupi City Municipal Council (CMC), about nine years ago under the Karnataka Urban Development and Coastal Environment Project (KUDCEMP).
He directed officials to provide housing facilities to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes people on priority. If there are no eligible beneficiaries in the SC/ST communities in one gram panchayat, people living in the neighbouring panchayats should be handed the benefit, he said.
Coordination sought
There should be better coordination between the Executive Officers of the Taluk Panchayats and the CEO of the Zilla Panchayat to ensure better implementation of the housing schemes.
He instructed the officials to identify land for the construction of Labourers’ Welfare Bhavan. Officials should ensure better publicity for the insurance, medical and other facilities for the workers. Mr. Nayak directed the officials of the Horticulture Department to distribute expeditiously compensation to the area farmers reeling under fruit-rot disease (Kole Roga).
