The Karnataka Upa Lokayukta Justice, Subash Adi said he favoured ending the domination of elected representatives in selecting the works and spending majority part of allocated funds to the Hyderabad Karnataka Region Development Board (HKRDB).
Addressing a press conference in Kalaburagi on Monday, Justice Adi said that during his discussion with the Secretary of the HKRDB Aditya Amlan Biswas and the Deputy Commissioner Vipul Bansal on Monday it was revealed that 80 per cent of the funds allocated to the HKRDB goes to the works suggested by the elected representatives and only 20 per cent of the amount spent for the major works.
“If this continues, there is a chance of the region remaining backward for many more years…the earmarked funds should be spent on the works as advised by the experts for achieving the desired development of the region and not otherwise”.
He said that the elected representatives have funds available and under MPLADS and MLA grants provided the government. They should use the amount for the development of the region. The decisions on fund utilisation should be made after consultation with experts and sanction funds as per the requirement.
Justice Adi said that if Rs. 1,000 crore was allocated every year to the HKRDB, apart from the funds from the budgetary allocations and the Special Development Programme (SDP) funds and centrally assisted projects like the Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojna and others is properly utilised the Hyderabad Karnataka region can be transformed into a most developed region within five years.
He said that the government which has given the statutory status to the HKRDB should also give autonomous powers to select the works to bridge the gaps of development.
Shortage of doctors
Referring to the shortage of doctors, particularly specialists in the government hospitals in the region, where the Infant Mortality Rate was high, Justice Adi questioned the presence of hospitals if no specialist doctors were available. “Unless the government ensures posting of specialists doctors in all the fields in government hospitals in the region, it will only be a structural development of having buildings without facilities”.
Justice Adi said that the Lokayukta was also collecting the details about the reasons behind the high rate of malnutrition among the children despite intervention by the government.
Regional Commissioner and Secretary of the HKRDB Aditya Amlan Biswas and Deputy Commissioner Vipul Bansal were present.
