Pics: Spoorthi Ullal

Daijiworld Media Network -Mangaluru (DV)

Mangaluru, Apr 3: Karnataka Rural Development and Panchayat Raj minister K S Eshwarappa on Sunday, March 3 launched 53 Swachh Sanjeevini vehicles meant for disposing of Solid Wastes in rural areas in a formal function at KPT college ground in Nanthoor here.

As many as 68 women under Sanjeevini Women Self-Help Groups of various gram panchayats of Dakshina Kannada were trained in driving for the purpose.
On the occasion, Eshwarappa symbolically handed over the Swachh Vahini keys to the representatives of two gram panchayat.

Speaking on the occasion, K S Eshwarappa said, " As many as 53 vehicles have been launched for solid waste management in 53 gram panchayat limits. Moreover, women are trained to run these solid waste disposal vehicles. People in the rural areas are giving more priority to Swachh Bharath. They are also segregating wet and dry waste separately." 

"We will start a unit of solid waste management on government or private lands under all the gram panchayat limits in the coming days. In Udupi district, as many as 43 gram panchayats have come together and started a comprehensive solid waste management unit in Nitte. It is the first of its kind in the country. The second unit will come up in Thenkayedapadavu to dispose off waste from 47 gram panchayaths of Dakshina Kannada. In the state, four such comprehensive solid waste management units will come up-in Ramnagara, Bellary, Mangaluru and Udupi. In future, this will be extended to all districts of the state," he added.

He also said that in this regard all the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) in the state will be brought to Mangaluru for a training in April. "We will also visit Sahyadri College for  training in solid waste management. He also called upon gram panchayat members and PDOs to give importance to the proper Solid Waste Management." 

Karnataka is in first place in implementing the 'Jaladhare Scheme'. Though the union government has given 16 lakhs man-days under MNREGA, Karnataka has completed it in 18.48 lakh man-days, he said. He added that the union government had hiked the wages under MNREGA from Rs 289 to Rs 309.
"Under the Jal Jeevan mission, we have given water connections to 47 lac houses out of 97 lac houses in the state. We have decided to provide water to all the houses in one year", Eswarappa said.

MLA Rajesh Naik-Kadapa GP member clash 

A verbal squabble broke out between a gram panchayat representative of Kadaba taluk and Bantwal constituency MLA Rajesh Naik over a petty issue. As minister K S Eshwarappa left the venue to attend a review meeting after symbolically handing over the Swachh Vahini vehicle key to the two gram panchayats, a few gram panchayat representatives expressed displeasure. A representative from Kadaba taluk also stated that despite them coming from far away places to attend the programme setting all their works aside, the minister had failed to hand over the key to them.

Though Rajesh Naik distributed the keys, the representative who opposed did not accept the key from him and demanded that the minister hand over the key. Rajesh Naik, annoyed by the situation, questioned him why he couldn't accept the key, when everyone else had accepted it. The argument continued for some time. 
Meanwhile, the representative from Kadaba taluk also called the executive officer and questioned why they were invited to the programme when the minister could not hand over the key.