Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (SP)
Udupi, Sep 5: District in-charge minister, Dr V S Acharya, informed that Karnataka Chief Minister, D V Sadananda Gowda, has convened a meeting of all the district deputy commissioners and chief executive officers of zilla panchayats at Bangalore on Tuesday September 6. He added that discussions will be held about 40 taluks in the state, which have been identified for natural calamities caused by floods or drought. He was addressing a press conference here on Sunday September 4.
Acharya pointed out that rainfall this time had been comparatively higher in Karkala taluk, where the rainfall recorded is about 400 to 600 mm higher. “Heavy rains have damaged roads. Sea erosion problem has cropped up at Maravante, Kody, Muloor and Yermal. We have informed the Chief Minister about the loss to properties and crop to the extent of Rs 15 to 20 crore in the district. So far, natural calamity fund amounting to Rs 1.5 crore has been received. Clearer picture about the state of affairs in the entire state will emerge after the above meeting. Relief works will begin immediately after the end of monsoon season,” he explained.
He said that private schools are being converted into aided schools, considering their services between 1987 and 1994. About non-implementation of UGC scales for lecturers, he said that the centre had agreed five years back, to share 80 percent of the wage increase bill, leaving the rest to the state. He said that union human resources minister, Kapil Sibal, has not been committal about the payment of Rs 856 crore due to the state from the centre under this head. He claimed that the grant to the field of education, which stood at Rs 3,659 crore four years ago, has jumped to Rs 12,284 crore now.
About the upcoming Koppal election, he said that ministers and other party leaders will provide a collective leadership to the election campaign there.
MLA, K Raghupati Bhat, zilla panchayat president, Katapadi Shankar Poojary, president of fisheries federation, Yashpal Suvarna, municipal president, Kiran Kumar, and others were present.