At first offline meet, BSY focuses on admin

BENGALURU: After a gap of one-and-half years, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa conducted a non-virtual, marathon eight-and half-hour meeting with Deputy Commissioners and CEOs of Zilla Panchayats at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Wednesday. He directed officials to look into the Covid-19 vaccination drive, take up works related to basic amenities and schemes of the Union government.

Earlier, Yediyurappa launched software that keeps track of funds released by the government for about 1,800 schemes and projects of 39 departments, and reviews work progress. Addressing DCs and CEOs, he stressed that the anti-cattle slaughter ordinance should be strictly implemented.

The Chief Minister also directed officials -- from village accountant to deputy commissioner -- to visit villages and reach out to people. “If problems and issues are sorted out in villages, people migrating to cities and Bengaluru will reduce. It’s your duty to ensure government schemes reach beneficiaries,” he said. Appreciating their work, he said, “In the past ten months, the State witnessed floods, drought and Covid, you have worked well.” He also told them to ensure that land is acquired for highways, with 14,000 cases pending before DCs.

Later, he told reporters that due to Covid, the last ten months were a loss, and now development  should be visible. He said officials were directed to look into the vaccination drive, agriculture input subsidy, housing for flood-affected, solid waste management and drinking water facilities, along with implementation of Central schemes.

On agriculture, he said officials have to hasten farmers’ registration so they can avail of relief amount under the input subsidy. Names of 12.02 lakh farmers who own 12.14 lakh hectares of farmland were registered. Of them, 9.22 lakh farmers were paid `709.67 crore, which is more than the National Disaster Relief Fund, he added.

Stressing on completing ongoing work under MLA funds, Yediyurappa told officials to simplify the process for administrative approval. He also directed district in-charge ministers to conduct review meetings once in three months. He said that of 14.18 lakh acres government land, encroachments on only 2.7 lakh acres were removed. He asked officials to remove the encroachments at the earliest and auction the land. Yediyurappa directed DCs to convert 2,741 residential areas without records into revenue villages. 

On the issue of graveyards, he directed officials to identify land in villages for graveyards, and if government land is not available, officials can scout for private land. Under the Jaljeevan Mission, of 42,000 government schools, 16,000 schools will get drinking water facility.