Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Oct 26: An action plan amounting to Rs 691.50 crore has been forwarded to the government, taking into consideration the overall progress of the district. At the first meeting of the district planning committee held here on Wednesday October 25, the action plan was approved.

Dakshina Kannada zilla panchayat (ZP) chief executive officer, Dr M R Ravi, who also is the member secretary of the committee, said that the plan has been prepared taking into account the integrated development of the district including. zilla, taluk and gram panchayats as well as urban local bodies.

"Draft action plan is prepared by consolidating plans prepared by local bodies in the district. The project report is prepared after taking into account water distribution, distribution of natural resources and geographical cgaracteristics of different areas. In making it, interests of the district and available financial resources are taken into account," he explained.

He also added that if anything which is left out has to be added, recommendation thereof can be sent through the planning committee and that the government will include in the draft plan. He stated that education, health, basic amenities, water and other priority segments have been identified and that the committee discusses about the pattern of distribution of grants to these heads.

Taluk panchayat member, Usman Karopady, wanted to know about the discussions held in the previous meetings of the district panning committee. Deputy secretary of the panchayat, N R Umesh, explained that as per the government order, new planning committee was formed in May this year and that the earlier committee has been dissolved. Karopady criticized for convening the meeting with lot of delay.

When members complained that there was delay in providing them with information booklet and too many agendas in the first meeting, district planning officer admitted that there was delay in consolidating figures received form local bodies and promised to provide them sufficiently in advance henceforth.