‘Prioritise drinking water, employment, housing schemes’

CH NEWS, VIJAYAPURA Zilla Panchayat CEO Anand Prakash Meena has directed officials to take preventive measures to ensure uninterrupted drinking water supply in rural areas of Basavana Bagewadi, Nidagundi and Kolhar taluks and accelerate the implementation of various development schemes. He was speaking at a review meeting held at the Basavana Bagewadi Taluk Panchayat office on Tuesday to assess the progress of drinking water and other Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department schemes in the three taluks. Meena said officials should assess the availability of drinking water, existing water sources and alternative arrangements in every gram panchayat in advance. Preventive preparedness, rather than waiting for a water crisis to emerge, should be the priority, he said. With drought conditions prevailing in Basavana Bagewadi, Nidagundi and Kolhar taluks, eligible rural families should be provided employment locally, the CEO said. Every eligible rural household seeking work under the VB-G RAM G scheme should be provided employment as per the rules. Officials should ensure continuous work for labourers who have demanded employment and properly maintain attendance and work progress records. Wages must be paid within the stipulated period after completion of works. There should be no delay in wage payments once the required procedures are completed, Meena instructed officials. He directed officials to accelerate the selection of eligible beneficiaries and construction of houses under the Pradhan MantriAwasYojana.Officials were also instructed to identify government land for providing sites to eligible beneficiaries who do not own house sites and submit a comprehensive report on those requiring sites. Dispose of e-Swathu applications quickly Reviewing the progress of the e-Swathu system, Meena directed officials to scrutinise pending applications in Gram Panchayat PDO logins as per the rules and dispose of them promptly.He stressed that applications submitted by the public should not remain pending unnecessarily and must be processed within the stipulated timeframe. Basavana Bagewadi and Nidagundi Taluk Panchayat Executive Officers Venkatesh Vandal and Sunil Maddin of Kolhar, Assistant Director Prakash Desai, Nidagundi TP Programme Officer Haji Mastan Hebbal, Kolhar TP Assistant Director Indudharaiah Hosamath, along with PDOs, VB-G RAM G staff and taluk panchayat personnel were present.