The general body of the Ballari Zilla Panchayat, which met here on Monday, expressed grave concern over the lack of coordination between the Gulbarga Electric Supply Company (Gescom) and the Rural Drinking Water Supply Department. P. Deena, vice-president, who is also acting president, was in the chair.
“Most of the drinking water schemes are not functioning mainly for want of power. When we approach officials, they keep passing on the buck, and ultimately the gullible public are deprived of drinking water, which is very unfortunate,” was the common grouse of the members.
They also urged the chair to issue proper instructions to the officials to accord priority to supply drinking water properly, especially when the problem is getting acute due to failure of rain, particularly in the western taluks, which have been depending on borewells.
Intervening in the discussion, Ramprasath Manohar, Deputy Commissioner and in-charge chief executive officer, directed the officials of Gescom and Rural Drinking Water Supply section, to take appropriate steps to provide drinking water.
“If you both work in tandem there would not be any drinking water problems. In addition, Gescom should have a bank of transformers while the Rural Water Supply department should have a bank of pumpsets. In case of a problem, the departments concerned should attend to it. I have been hearing lot of complaints from the members, and if I continue to hear the same in the next meeting, you will face stern action,” he warned officials.
Mr. Manohar, responding to complaints from members over shortage of doctors and teachers in schools, directed the District Health Officer and Deputy Director of Public Instruction to take appropriate steps to appoint doctors, including AYUSH, on contract basis, and guest teachers respectively.
Nara Bharat Reddy, referring to the failure of rains leading to shortage of fodder, urged the chair to set up fodder banks wherever necessary, in consultation with elected representatives of the respective constituencies. In turn, Mr. Manohar instructed the Animal Husbandry officer to survey the district and provide an estimate in this regard.
Allum Prashant, Uma Kotresh, B. Anand, Manayya, Harshavardhan, were among other members to participate in the discussion.