Focus on education, social development in Mysuru zilla panchayat budget

Mysuru: More than one-third of the outlay of the Mysuru zilla panchayat’s budget was allocated for primary and secondary education. With the state government increasing the allotment for the Mysuru ZP by 12% this year – the outlay of the 2019-20 budget was Rs 435.9 crore compared to Rs 387.74 crore last year – the focus of the local governing body was on increasing allocation for social welfare programmes.
The budget, presented by the ZP president Parimala Shyam, allocates a sum of Rs 158.42 crore for the department of public instruction (DPI). The DPI has been entrusted the enormous sum and charged with the responsibility of utilsing the funds for building lavatories at all schools, making provisions for drinking water, appointment of teachers, mid-day meals and Ksheera Bhagya programme. There are 2,703 primary, and 748 high schools under the area administered by the ZP. However, besides the funds allocated for the DPI, the Kannada and culture department has been given Rs 34 lakh, with the objective of building auditoria at all government high schools.

Parimala announced that the ZP had identified 460.8 hectares to set up ‘Nedu Thopu’ – a grove of saplings – by allocating funds to the tune of Rs 33.15 crore for the social forestry department. A plan has already been formulated to develop the grove on 200 hectares.

Meanwhile, the Rs 86.79 crore allocation for the district health department includes funds to pay salaries to the employees (Rs 64.43 crore), and other health-related programmes. The funds will be distributed across the 163 healthcare establishments in the district, which include primary health centres (PHCs), public hospitals, community health centres, etc. While a sum of Rs 4.72 crore has been assigned to the department of agriculture, the allocation for horticulture department – Rs 80.9 crore – is an indication that the local body is keen to give a fillip to commercial crops to provide a sense of stability in farmers’ finances. Meanwhile, the sericulture department has been allocated Rs 7.62 crore, as part of the state government’s plan to increase silk production in Karnataka.

The thrust of the ZP budget was on social development, and funds have been allocated for organising widow re-marriage, financial support for coupled uniting in an inter-caste marriage, etc. Five widows who re-entered matrimony were provided a sum of Rs 3 lakh each in the 2018-19 financial year.

Meanwhile, a special programme was announced to provide free training for unemployed law graduates from the backward and minority communities. Selected graduates will be provided employment under senior advocates for a four-year period. While law graduates from OBC communities will be paid a stipend of Rs 4,000, minority community lawyers will be paid Rs 5,000.

Meanwhile, members of minority communities keen on building community centres such as convention centres or wedding halls can get up to Rs 1 crore from taluk administration, and up to Rs 2 crore if they wish to build the centres in the city.