Pics: Umesh Marpalli

Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (HB)

Udupi, Feb 23: The eleventh general body meeting of zilla panchayat was held at Dr V S Acharya auditorium, Rajathadri, Manipal on Thursday, February 22.

Raghavendra Kanchan raised the topic of suspension of District Mining and Geology department officer Kodandaramaiah. Pratap Hegde Marali expressing anguish at the suspension said that deputy commissioner Priyanka Mary Francis was behaving like a dictator. “Before suspending Kodandaramaiah, he should been given an opportunity to explain his situation,” he said. He further demanded to pass a condemnable resolution considering the opinion of ZP members.

Member Janardhan Thonse, speaking on the same matter said, “The information of suspension should have been made known to all 26 ZP members. All of a sudden he was suspended. This is not right.”

Issuing clarification, an officer said, “The district commissioner sent a report to the state government about his lapse in duty. Based on that, the government issued a notice of suspension.”

Regarding distribution of housing sites Pratap Hegde said, “Eligible beneficiaries are not receiving sites. The concerned department is showing discriminating between the beneficiaries.”

Thonse said, “There is lack of land in Udupi to provide sites for beneficiaries. Most of the migrated families are receiving its benefits.”

Another ZP member raised the issue of pending construction of toilets under Rajiv Gandhi Housing Scheme.

While Jyothi Harish said that some of the students have not received text books, Shilpa G Suvarna said that government school students did not receive uniforms.

The concerned department officer said, “There was a shortage in supply of uniforms. The supply has been stopped since three months due to which distribution is getting delayed. The government provides textbooks and uniforms based on last year’s enrollment of students. The government has decided to buy uniform online for the next academic year.”

Project director Nagesh Raikar directed officials to give a report on schools that did not receive uniforms and textbooks.

Thonse took the president of Agriculture and Industry Standing Committee (AISC) to task said, “Regular proceedings are not happening in the AISC, but agendas are being approved. A proper meeting date should be given to all ZP members at the right time.”

Zilla panchayat president Dinakar Babu, vice-president Sheela K Shetty, Social Justice Standing Committee president K Babu Shetty, and Agriculture and Industry standing committee president Shashikant Padubidri were present.

The winning team of Yuvajana Mela Nava Chethana Yuvaka Mandala was felicitated on the occasion.