Sadananda Gowda asks for master plan on check dams

Chief Minister slams officials for tardy progress on roads, Thumbe Dam

Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda on Sunday said the problems of drinking water in summer in the districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Uttara Kannada would be tackled by building check dams across the rivers.

The Chief Minister said he was ready to allocate funds for this project. “Don't worry about funds,” he said.

Mr. Gowda wanted a master plan for the construction of check dams over the west-flowing rivers ready by January so that it could be implemented next financial year. The project would lead to improvement of water table besides providing drinking water. He hoped that the shortage of water faced by the region during summer would be a thing of the past.

Mr. Sadananda Gowda said he would hold a special meeting in this regard during the forthcoming session of the legislature and the deputy commissioners of the three districts would be asked to attend it.

He wanted officials to ensure that all major roads were improved in the district by December-January. He asked the legislators to hold a meeting in this regard every month. The district was getting about Rs. 200 crore for the development of roads under various schemes. He wanted officials to remember that they were working for the improvement of the “Chief Minister's district”.

He said he would give more funds to take up urgent work on solving drinking water problems if the task forces headed by legislators demanded.

Slow progress

Mr. Gowda expressed his displeasure over the tardy progress of construction of the larger vented dam at Thumbe. “I am not satisfied,” he said. He pointed out that only eight of 16 vents had been completed and asked Deputy Commissioner N.S. Channappa Gowda and Commissioner of Mangalore City Corporation Harish Kumar K. to inspect the progress every week. If necessary, the contract could be terminated and fresh agency fixed to complete it, he said. He was unhappy with the work of the local officer in charge of the project.

Mr. Kumar urged the Chief Minister to grant two-thirds of the estimated cost of the project (Rs. 75 crore) as the corporation could not bear more than one-third of the cost.

The Chief Minister asked the legislators and zilla panchayat members to hold special meetings regarding progress of road work between Mani and Mysore. He threatened to terminate the contractor if work did not progress at the required pace.

He asked the Public Works Department to complete the works such as Tulu Bhavan, Mini Vidhana Soudhas in the district and Rangamandira in Mangalore in time.