Priority will be given to implement drinking water projects, says Sorake

All five MLAs of district asked to provide proposals of Rs. 30 lakh each

Vinay Kumar Sorake, Urban Development Minister, who is also District In-charge Minister, said on Saturday that importance will be given to implementing drinking water projects in the district.

Addressing presspersons after a district-level progress review meeting, Mr. Sorake said that it was not possible to provide water through either borewells or open wells in many villages in the district. Hence, it had been decided to lift water from rivers and supply it to villages. All five MLAs of the district had been asked to provide proposals of Rs. 30 lakh each for drinking water projects in their constituencies.

Already, 28 proposals had been submitted to Union Government with regard to drinking water projects. He would pursue these projects with the Union Government.

Temporary sea walls would be constructed to prevent sea erosion in critical reaches in the three coastal districts at an estimated cost of Rs. 10 crore. Though widening of the National Highway 66 was in progress in the district, many potholes had developed on it because of pre-monsoon rains. This would be brought to the notice of the National Highways Authority of India..

An amount of Rs. 6.47 crore for the repair of State Highways in the district had not been fully used. Efforts would be made to repair the State Highways in the district.

Nearly 26,000 ration cards had been rejected from the district due to various discrepancies. In many instances, many persons living above the poverty line (APL) had received below the poverty line (BPL) cards. Efforts would be made to put an end to these discrepancies.

Though the State government had given a target of constructing 20,000 houses for poor people in the district, it had not been possible for officials to identify beneficiaries because of the conditions stipulated for it. Hence a delegation of MLAs from the district would meet Housing Minister M.H. Ambareesh to discuss this issue.

Efforts would be made to get Heritage Town tag for Udupi city as it housed the famous Krishna Temple.

A team of experts would visit the city shortly in this regard. There were many files on land conversion pending in the Special Tahsildar’s Offices in Brahmavar and Byndoor. Efforts would be made to speed up file disposal in these places.

Home Minister K.J. George was expected to visit the district on June 11 and the issue of security and other aspects of naxalite affected areas (in the district) would be discussed with him.

Underground drainage (UGD) facility in Udupi city would be extended from the old town limits to the entire city. UGD facility would be provided in Kundapur, Karkala, and Saligrama towns, Mr. Sorake said.