Addressing issues raised about reservations to Scheduled Caste & Scheduled Tribes (SC & ST) contractors in government works, Kalaburagi Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Hephsiba Rani Korlapati taught the elected members the basics of the reservation concept at a workshop here on Wednesday.
“Others cannot stake claim to something reserved for a particular group. Everybody including those who have reservation can apply for something unreserved. In this particular case, reservation for contractors from SC and ST communities to procure government works up to Rs. 50 lakh is fixed at 17.15 per cent and at 6.95 per cent respectively and others cannot apply for these tenders. 75.9 per cent tenders are unreserved or general and everybody including SC and ST contractors can apply for it,” she said. She also warned officials against misleading SC and ST contractors by stating that the SC and ST contractors should not apply for the unreserved category.
Some of the elected members, including presidents of Standing Committees, repeatedly asked clarifications and even sought government circulars regarding the matter.
No coordination
Ms. Korlapati took officials from Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Department and Gulbarga Electricity Supply Company to task for poor coordination in implementing drinking water supply projects in rural areas. She directed the officials to have a meeting within two days and resolve all the issues.
“As many as 25 RO (Reverse Osmosis) plants could not be commissioned only because of non-electrification. You should have regular meetings with GESCOM engineers from both Sedam and Kalaburagi divisions and address the issue,” she said.
Sanjeevan Yakapur, president of a Standing Committee, too criticised the officers for poor power management. “Nowhere in the district is uninterrupted power being supplied to Nirantara Jyothi beneficiaries, mocking the very meaning of the scheme,” he said. He directed the officials to get a detailed list of works and visit the worksites along with him to inspect the progress within a week.
Resentment
Aravinda Chauhan, president of another Standing Committee, expressed resentment over not being invited to a task force committee meeting where the action plan of some works involving his own constituency were finalised.
Chief Planning Officer Praveena Priya and Ms. Korlapati repeatedly clarified that the Member of Legislative Assembly was the chairman of the task force of his/her constituency and presided over the meeting. They also clarified that administrative approval was given to the action plans after minutely verifying the procedures followed. They also assured that the objection would be forwarded to the member-secretary of the task force.
When objections related to 108 ambulance staff conniving with private hospitals was raised, B.N. Joshi, district surgeon, pleaded helplessness by stating that the ambulance staff was not cooperating with the district hospital. “108 ambulance staff do not provide us any information about the patients they take to private hospitals. We therefore can maintain record of those patients brought to us only,” he said.
