The Hindu 24.11.2009
Minister takes Davangere City Corporation officials to task
Staff Correspondent
| Suresh Kumar expresses disappointment over quality of projects |
Minister shocked to see air pollution level in Mandakki Bhatti area
Officials told to identify unauthorised buildings and demolish them
Taking stock: Urban Development Minister S. Suresh Kumar at the Mandakki Bhatti in Davangere on Monday.
DAVANGERE: Urban Development Minister S. Suresh Kumar on Monday took officials of the Davangere City Corporation to task for not ensuring quality of projects taken up utilising the Chief Minister’s special grant of Rs. 100 crore.
The Minister said he would get the projects inspected by a professional agency and initiate action against officials concerned based on its report.
Mr. Suresh Kumar addressed a meeting of officials after visiting several localities and inspecting various development projects in the city. He expressed his disappointment over the quality of the projects.
He asked the officials how they allowed laying of concrete road without constructing storm-water drains along it or making provision for the drains.
Mr. Suresh Kumar said that he had not seen any officials who were so “dishonest” and “unprofessional”.
Surprised
The Minister was surprised when an officer of a private agency appointed to check the quality of the projects said that the agency had given 100 marks to all public works implemented in the city.
Mr. Suresh Kumar said that he had inspected almost all the projects taken up in the city. The Minister said he might have to appoint another agency to inspect the quality of the projects and to ascertain the veracity of the report submitted by this agency.
S.A. Ravindranath, Agriculture Minister and also Davangere district in charge, said that staff of the third party agency appointed to inspect the projects were only diploma holders and did not have any technical knowledge.
Later, Mr. Suresh Kumar told presspersons that the Government would not release special grants next year to corporations that had implemented substandard projects.
Survey
He had directed officials concerned to conduct a survey of unauthorised buildings in the Davangere City Corporation limits and demolish such structures.
Mayor of Davangere Uma Prakash, Deputy Mayor B. Lokesh and Commissioner of the corporation Prasanna Kumar were present.
Earlier, Mr. Suresh Kumar visited Mandakki Bhatti area and was shocked to see the level of air pollution in the locality owing to smoke emanating from several puffed rice units. He asked Deputy Commissioner K. Amaranarayan to instruct owners of the puffed rice units to either install modern ovens or to close down the units.
