B.S. Yeddyurappa, Shivamogga MP, has expressed displeasure over the alleged tardy progress in the enrolment for Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) in the district.
Mr. Yeddyurappa, who is the notional vice-president of the Bharatiya Janata Party, was speaking at the District Vigilance and Monitoring Committee meeting here on Saturday.
Ramya Hegde, District Coordinator of the scheme, said that only 1,94,112 persons from 3,60,800 below the poverty line families had been enrolled for the scheme during 2014-15.
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The district had achieved 53.8 per cent of the target for the enrolment of beneficiaries for the scheme, she said.
Gurumurthy, member of the committee, alleged that a private insurance company, which had bagged the contract for the implementation of the scheme in the district, had not evinced adequate interest on enrolment of beneficiaries.
Mr. Yeddyurappa warned of stern action against the officials of the Department of Labour, which had been assigned with the task of monitoring the implementation of the scheme, for the slow progress.
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B. Ramu, Chief Executive Officer of the zilla panchayat, said that panchayat development officers would be directed to cooperate with the Department of Labour in the enrolment process.
T.L. Sundaresh, zilla panchayat member, alleged that the officials of the Department of Forest had denied permission for providing power supply for the drinking water supply scheme at Malandur village in Bidaragodu gram panchayat limits.
The scheme was being implemented at a cost of Rs. 33 lakh and the work in this regard had already been completed.
As the village was located in the limits of Someshwara wildlife sanctuary, the officials of the Department of Forest had not given the permission to draw electricity lines through the forest area for providing power connection for the drinking water supply unit.
Condemning the stand taken by the Forest Department officials on the issue, the residents of Malandur had boycotted the recently held gram panchayat elections, he said.
Mr. Yeddyurappa said, it was inhuman to deny drinking water to the people and directed the Forest Department officials to give permission to provide power connection for the drinking water supply unit at the earliest.
Manager of Lead Bank T.G. Shankar Kumar said that a total of 1,64,240 new bank accounts had been opened in the district under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY).
Mr. Yeddyurappa directed the officials to create awareness among those, who had opened new bank accounts, about the accident relief and overdraft facilities that they were entitled for under the PMJDY.
B.Y. Raghavendra, Shikaripur MLA; Kalagodu Rathnakar, president of zilla panchayat; V.P. Ikkeri, Deputy Commissioner; and Ravi Channannanavar, Superintendent of Police, were present.