Minister for Revenue Krishna Byre Gowda on Wednesday told the officials to be prepared for facing drought-related challenges in the days ahead taking necessary measures and to ensure that there was no drinking water crisis in villages.
Presiding over the review meeting at the Regional Commissioner’s office here, the Minister said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has directed for releasing the first installment of drought relief amount from the State government itself since the meetings with the Centre in connection with the State’s request for drought relief has been put off on two occasions.
The Minister told the officers to make definite about availability of drinking water and fodder stocks for livestock before taking steps with regard to drought management.
Mr. Byre Gowda said most grievances that the Chief Minister received during the Janata Darshan in Bengaluru were about the revenue department. “What are the deputy commissioners and the tahsildars doing if people travel long distances to submit grievances to the Chief Minister,” the Minister asked.
He argued that the Revenue Department has to be at the forefront of addressing the people’s grievances. However, there is an opinion that the department has adopted the “delaying” stance while addressing the grievances.
“If the Minister has to intervene to address the complaint of clearing encroachment of a walking path (as per the revenue sketch), then what are officials doing,” the Minister told the meeting.
“It’s the responsibility of everyone to work for the people. We are depending on the taxpayers’ money and therefore their sufferings have to be addressed properly.”
The Minister said e-office was launched to bring transparency in the disposal of files. Despite directions, e-office is not being implemented citing reasons. Don’t cite reasons and implement e-office, he directed.
The Department of Revenue is like a mother department to all departments as it plays a key role in reaching out benefits to the people. The staff can bring a good name to the department and the government if they work reliably.
Mr. Byre Gowda said some land holders have received insurance amount even though no crop has been cultivated. There seems to be some technical issue in the software on crop insurance. Even the owner of an alienated land has got an insurance amount. Make sure the insurance amount is not misused and the crop survey has to be done for disbursing the amount, he told the officers.
People in sub-registrar’s’ office swear in the name of god that no bribes are taken amidst complaints of corruption. If that is the case, then who is taking bribes in the offices, he asked.
The Minister directed the officers to take up the task of identifying villages that need to be elevated to the status of revenue villages. Don’t entertain disputes while identifying such villages. So far, over 1,000 villages have been upgraded into revenue villages. Thandas, hattis, camps, haadis and koppalus have to be upgraded into revenue villages, he stated.
Mr. Byre Gowda said there are funds for purchasing land for the burial grounds and added that the purchases have to be done within the legal framework. If prices are high, land can be bought in other locations in the village, he suggested.
To a suggestion from MLA G.T. Deve Gowda that village accountants should be asked to be present in the Gram Panchayat offices, the Minister said discussion on the matter had taken place earlier and the VAs will remain in offices.
