Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR), Information Technology and Biotechnology Priyank Kharge said here on Wednesday, November 15, that the underground water table in the coastal and Malnad belts in the State had depleted considerably and the government would constitute a committee to study it scientifically and recommend to the government how to replenish it.
Addressing a convention of panchayat raj representatives organised by the Congress at Kudmul Ranga Rao Town Hall in the city the Minister said he was taken by surprise when he learnt about the status of the underground water table in the belts while holding a meeting recently. “I was under the impression that the coastal and Malnad belts are rich sources of underground water. But it turned out to be contrary to the perception when reviewed the rural water situation of the State recently,” the Minister said.
A section of the gathering at a convention of panchayat raj representatives at Town Hall in Mangaluru on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: H.S. MANJUNATH
Mr. Kharge said the committee, in addition to the government representatives from the departments such as Minor Irrigation and Watershed would have representatives from ISRO. The committee would be asked to submit a report recommending measures to be taken to replenish the groundwater within about four months.
The Minister said that the government was getting a blueprint ready on how gram panchayats could earn income by processing solid waste.
The government would open ‘Pancha Mitra’, a dedicated call centre to receive complaints pertaining to the RDPR from across the State next month. The Chief Minister would inaugurate it.
Speaking on the occasion, Manjunath Bhandary, MLC, said that each gram panchayat should be allotted 25 acres of land, including for a crematorium. The honorarium of each gram panchayat member should be hiked to ₹5,000 a month and the government should provide a budgetary grant of ₹1 crore to each gram panchayat every year. The Secretary and Panchayat Development Officer of each gram panchayat should be transferred every three years. The term of the president and the vice-president of gram panchayat should be fixed for five years, he said, adding that it helps in building the leadership at the grassroots level.
“Like in Kerala, the gram panchayat elections in Karnataka should be fought on the basis of party symbol. The government should do the needful to realise this,” Mr. Bhandary said.
