Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Sep 25: "Till my death, I will continue to choose Chickballapur as my constituency. I will not fight another election from Dakshina Kannada district. I am even prepared to vouch for my decision by executing it in a bond paper," announced union law and justice minister, Dr M Veerappa Moily.
"There is no need for any one to get deprived of their sleep just because I have visited the district. No one needs to misunderstand me. I will work impartially towards building the party and to achieve all-round development of the district even in future," he added.
Speaking at a consultative meeting held on Thursday September 24 at the district Congress Committee office here, he informed that a project to concrete the Shiradi Ghat road, with an outlay of Rs 118 crore, has been sanctioned and that tender process for the same will begin shortly. An exhaustive plan to repair and develop the national highways in the district has already been prepared and works will begin shortly, Moily assured. Four different projects worth Rs 1,000 crore have been sanctioned by the union government for developing the local port. Usage of containers is imperative to facilitate smooth transportation of goods through the ports and hence, the ministry of railways has been asked to supply additional containers, he revealed.
Moily stated that necessary ammendments are being brought to the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme shortly, to cover farmers having holdings up to five acres of land. Steps are being taken to release funds under the 12th finance plan for the year 2009-10, Moily explained.
He squarely placed the blame on the state government for not announcing support price for areca nut and for not being able to accede to the needs of poor patients at the district Wenlock Hospital here. He refuted district in-charge minister Krishna J Palemar's allegation that the centre has refused to share financial burden in respect of announcing support price for areca nut, by saying that the central government has nothing to do in the matter.
District Congress president and MLA B Ramanath Rai, MLAs U T Khader and Abhaychandra Jain, leaders Ivan D'Souza, Ibrahim Kodijal, Vijaykumar Shetty, Mamata Gatti, B A Moidin Bawa etc., were present.