Urban News

The Hindu - Karnataka 11.08.2009

Projects worth Rs. 20 cr. approved under BRGF

Staff Correspondent

Chitradurga: The Chitradurga zilla panchayat gave approval to Rs. 20.2 crore projects to the Central Government-sponsored Backward Region Grant Fund (BRGF) scheme. The decision was taken in the District Planning Committee (DPC) meeting chaired by zilla panchayat president L.B. Rajashekharappa here on Monday.

As per the BRGF guidelines, Rs. 16.16 crore would be utilised to develop rural areas while Rs. 4.04 crore would be spent by the City Municipal Council for improving infrastructure.

The meeting was convened to garner the suggestions of the zilla panchayat members on the proposed project report.

During the discussion, a number of members raised the issue of misappropriation of funds reported in various gram panchayats while purchasing material under the current year’s BRGF scheme.

It might be recalled that recently a member, Guruswamy, during the last general body meeting of the zilla panchayat had revealed the statistics about materials purchased at an extremely high rates than the market price by various gram panchayats in the district. Jagaluraiah, a member, felt the need to evolve a new strategy to prevent corruption. Then, Deputy Commissioner and the committee member Amlan Aditya Biswas suggested the members to adopt a resolution to purchase bulk materials only by the zilla panchayat instead of giving that power to gram panchayats.

The suggestion was unanimously accepted by the members and a resolution was passed to that effect.

Ravikumar, a member, raised objection to the proposal of purchasing materials such as cookers, mosquito nets, water heaters and UPS for SC/ST Hostels in the district. He suggested that funds should be used to construct more number of hostels for students of rural areas.

Mr. Biswas said that by mere construction of hostels would not serve the purpose of helping the SC/ST students unless they were provided with better facilities. “The Government has schemes and funds to construct hostels, thus instead of repeating the projects, the funds of BRGF could be used for improving infrastructure of the hostels”, he said.

The meeting also passed a resolution to scrap a few proposals such as holding street plays and printing publicity materials about the scheme. Instead, the meeting decided to spend the same amount in producing a documentary film about the scheme and display it in all the gram panchayats to spread awareness.

The Hindu - Andhra Pradesh 11.08.2009

Water woes in Kadapa Municipal Corporation

Special Correspondent

KADAPA: Supply of drinking water on alternate days began in Kadapa Municipal Corporation limits on Monday in view of grave depletion of water sources owing to deficient rainfall, Kadapa Mayor P. Raveendranatha Reddy said on Monday.

Water would be supplied on alternate days in 80 per cent of the corporation area, once in three days in Chinna Chowk area and once in five days in Ravindranagar and Kagithalapenta, which were on the outskirts of the city. A reservoir (one tmcft.capacity) being constructed near JMJ College here at a cost of Rs.480 crors to draw water from Somasila backwaters, would be completed by next summer, he said.

Gandi, Bugga and Lingampalli water works, which cater to the drinking water needs of Kadapa city were supplying 40.23 million litres per day (MLD) as against 56.36 MLD last month, the Mayor told a press conference.

Gandi water works supplied 13 MLD as against 15 MLD in the past and Lingampalli water works supplied 25.87 MLD now as against 40 MLD a month ago.

However, Bugga water works was supplying 1.36 MLD now as in the past, he added.

Kadapa Municipality jurisdiction, which was earlier spread in 6.84 sq. km with a population of 2,68,436, has extended to 164.08 sq. km with population grew to 40 lakh following its up-gradation as Kadapa Municipal Corporation owing to merger of 12 erstwhile gram panchayats, Mr. Reddy said.

Under normal conditions, entire Kadapa city required 49 MLD but the supply was 44 MLD till a month ago and it further fell to 31.80 MLD now, creating a demand-supply deficit of 18 MLD, he explained.

Against a requirement of 140 MLD per head, 120 MLD was being supplied, the Mayor said.

The water level in Pennar river has abnormally depleted and nine out of 31 power bores dried up. Twenty four power bores were functioning now after adding new filter points but two infiltration wells with siphon gallery dried up.

Nine new bores were drilled and motors fixed near Alamkhanpalli, three bores would be drilled with an expenditure of Rs.6 lakhs near Bugga water works and five new bores would be sunk near Lingampalli water works.

Toll free number

People could requisition for water tanker supply by calling toll-free phone Nos. 1913 or 1916, 98499 06660 (Municipal Engineer Sivarami Reddy) or 98499 06663 (Assistant Engineer Kareemullah).

The city has 29,000 water tap connections and the 300 pending applications for tap connections would be cleared only after water availability improves.

Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy was urged to release water from Srisailam reservoir to Pennar river to help recharge of ground water, the Mayor said.

Municipal Commissioner S. Charles Umapathy, Municipal SE Varaprasada Rao also participated.