SC/ST work progress review meeting dithered

August 24, 2011

Mangalore, August 24: The progress review meeting of development works under schemes meant for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Mangalore taluk was postponed for the second time in a row due to an uproar caused by the delay of officials at the Mangalore Panchayat Hall here on Wednesday.

Monthly developmental review meet was also postponed last month making this the second consecutive deferment of the meeting.

Representatives of SC/ST community had gathered in numbers but were saddened by the delay and absence of officials. Assistant Commissioner of Mangalore Sub Division, the president of the Taluk level committee, officials from the police department were absent. Irritated by the unexplained absence of officials the SC/ST representatives boycotted the meeting raising slogans against “irresponsible officials”.

Manjunath, Tahsildar of Mangalore arrived 45 after minutes and tried to console the members of SC/ST community. “We are not dogs to run behind officials”, was a reply he got from the group.

When questioned by the journalists about his delay to attend the meeting Mr Manjunath said it was due to “prior commitments”. He also claimed that the delay was not his mistake.

The members of SC/ST community in conversation with the journalists said that there was no point in organising a meeting if the concerned officials were not present.

One Manjunath, who was among the 26 families displaced for having a house near the railway track recently, had attended the meeting requesting that the make-shift facilities allotted to them near Mudipu has to be vacated as they are supposed to live there for only a month.

“There are around 250 people living in the region and we don't know where to go”, he said.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

Puttur's Healthcare Dream Cleared: State Finance Gives Nod for 300-Bed Hospital

News Network

December 2,2025

Puttur: The long-cherished dream of a government medical college in Puttur has moved a decisive step closer to reality, with the Karnataka State Finance Department granting its official approval for the construction of a new 300-bed hospital.

Puttur MLA Ashok Kumar Rai announced the crucial development to reporters on Monday, confirming that the official communication from the finance department was issued on November 27. This 300-bed facility is intended to be the cornerstone for the establishment of the government medical college, a project announced in the state budget.

Fast-Track Implementation

The MLA outlined an aggressive timeline for the project:

• A Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the hospital is expected to be ready within 45 days.

• The tender process for the construction will be completed within two months.

Following the completion of the tender process, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for the project.

"Setting up a medical college in Puttur is a historical decision by the Congress government in Karnataka," Rai stated. The project has an estimated budget allocation of Rs 1,000 crore for the medical college.

Focus on Medical Education Department

The MLA highlighted a key strategic move: requesting the government to implement the hospital construction through the Medical Education Department instead of the Health and Family Welfare Department. This is intended to streamline the entire process of establishing the full medical college, ensuring the facilities—including labs, operation theatres, and other necessary infrastructure—adhere to the strict guidelines set by the Medical Council of India (MCI). The proposed site for the project is in Bannur.

Rai also took the opportunity to address political criticism, stating that the government has fulfilled its promise despite "apprehensions" and "mocking and criticising" from opposition parties who had failed to take similar initiatives when they were in power. "Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has kept his word," he added.

Comments