24x7 drinking water supply to every household in Mangalore soon'

Mangalore, August 25: Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar Saturday said that all necessary steps would be taken to implement 24x7 drinking water supply project in Mangalore City Corporation soon following the successful implementation of the same by the civic bodies Hubli, Dharwad, Gulbarga and Belgaum.

Speaking after inaugurating the renovated Council Hall (Mangala Auditorium) of Mangalore City Corporation, CM said that more power would be given to the Commissioner and Council of City Corporation, so that decisions could be taken easily and implemented effectively for the development of the city.

S. Suresh Kumar, Minister for Housing and Urban Development, also said that steps would be taken to provide 24x7 drinking water supply to every household in the city.

Mr Shettar said that apart from the already sanctioned Rs 100 crore State Finance Commission fund for MCC, same amount would be sanctioned in second phase soon. He also promised to complete the pending work at Thumbay vented dam at the earliest to prevent water crisis in the region.

Mr Shettar said that the renovated MCC auditorium was the most excellent on in the State. The city of Mangalore is a clean and excellent one and so is the entire district of Dakshina Kannada. More work needs to be done to develop it further, he said.

Shashidhar Hegde, Corporator, appealed to the CM to implement an extensive drainage system in the city, along with implementing 24x7 drinking water supply system. Due to the lack of rains in the region, water in the Thumbay vented dam had reduced alarmingly resulting in the water crisis in the region in January. He requested the CM to see to it that the project be completed without any further delays. He also requested for an increase in the power of MCC council, as it took 6 – 12 months to get a decision sanctioned by the State Government. He also appealed to the CM to hand over property deeds to those citizens residing on government lands, and labourers be given permanent employment.

S. Suresh Kumar, Minister for Housing and Urban Development was also present.

Special Package for endosulfan victims

Later addressing a press meet, Mr Shettar said that a special package for endosulfan victims would be offered along with finding a feasible solution to the problem. Two day-care-centres for the affected have been opened in the district, and relief will be provided to those families who have not received any. The issue will be extensively discussed and solution will be sought following the example of the Government of Kerala, he said.

An appeal has been made to the Central Government to provide short term and long term relief packages for drought-hit farmers in the state. The State Government will offer them not just relief and drought tackling strategies, but loans taken by the farmers up to Rs 25,000 will be waivered off, which will result in a loss of Rs 3600 crore to the government. Assistance is also required from the Central Government in providing relief, he said.

Speaking on the rehabilitation of the displaced Malekudiyas in Kudremukh, he said that discussions would be held separately with representatives in Dakshina Kannada, Chikmagalur and Udupi districts, and a solution would be sought.

In reply to a question, Mr Shettar said that necessary steps would be taken to fill all vacant posts in National Human Rights Commission and in Lokayukta which is being discussed in the Supreme Court. In reply to another question regarding the homestay attack, he said that all those miscreants who had taken the law in their hands would be brought to books.

The foundation stone had been laid for the construction of a fountain in Kadri Park, while Rs 4 crore has been released for the construction of Ambedkar Bhavan in the City Corporation premises, he said.