Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj K.S. Eshwarappa said on Sunday that the government is committed to releasing funds required for the development of four roads in Kombaru village, Kadaba taluk of Dakshina Kannada.
Speaking at a village stay programme of journalists at Kombaru, the Minister said that the such an initiative, third in the series, taken by Dakshina Kannada Union of Working Journalists (DKUWJ) is worth emulating by journalists in other parts of the State.
The Minister said that the journalists instead of “criticising each and everything” should focus on organising such village stays to help connect the government and bureaucracy with the people.
The Minister said that arranging interactions of local people with the elected representatives and officials during the village stay will help address several issues.
The Minister said that the funds required for the development of roads in Kombaru will be released in due course of time. After the DKUWJ organised its second village stay at Madappady village, Sullia taluk, about a year ago, the government has sanctioned ₹ 2 crore for the development of a road connecting Madappady village.
He released a hand book on the second village stay of journalists organised in Madappady village.
Minister for Fisheries, Ports and Inland Transport, S. Angara, who also represents Sullia Assembly constituency covering parts of Kadaba taluk, said that his constituency required the construction of 186 bridges and 118 foot bridges.
Of the 278 village roads under his constituency, 16 roads are being upgraded as major district roads for handing them over to the Public Works Department. In all, 124 bridges have been built in Sullia Assembly segment till date since 1994, he said.
During his interaction with people, Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada K.V. Rajendra said that the district administration will attend to the petitions submitted to the government at the programme within a month.
If some issues cannot be addressed, the administration will specify the reason why they cannot be addressed immediately, he said and added that some issues pertaining to policy matters cannot be addressed at the district level alone.
Mr. Rajendra said that people’s participation also mattered in the development of villages. He asked officials to work honestly to address the problems of people and introspect whether they are working honestly.
Superintendent of Police, Dakshina Kannada, B.M. Laxmi Prasad appreciated the initiative taken by DKUWJ.
DKUWJ president Srinivas Nayak Indaje gave a brief introduction of the village stay programme, including the first one conducted at Kutluru village in Belthangady taluk.
Kadaba is a new taluk in Dakshina Kannada.
