Kagodu orders spot inspection for mini-barrage project.

Revenue Minister Kagodu Thimmappa recently directed officials of the Urban Development Department to explore the possibility of providing drinking water to Sorab and Hosanagar towns from the nearest surface water sources.

He was speaking at a meeting held in the city to review the progress of development works taken up under the Chief Minister’s Small and Medium Towns Development Project.

Mr. Thimmappa said the rivers Dandavathi and Varada flow near Sorab town and river Sharavathi flows near Hosanagar town. The possibility of constructing a mini-barrage across these rivers with the funds available under the project, and then providing the stored water to residents for drinking water purposes, should be explored, he said. He directed Deputy Commissioner M. Lokesh to conduct a spot inspection on this.

Expressing displeasure at the pace of implementation of housing schemes in the district, he said the applications for sites and houses under the Ashraya scheme should be disposed of expeditiously. If a family has applied for a site or a house under the Ashraya scheme and also for regularisation of a house constructed on revenue land, the former should be rejected, he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Bhadravati MLA M.J. Appaji said the Bhadravati City Municipal Council requires an amount of ₹42 crore for implementation of works taken up under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme. Mr. Thimmappa said he would apprise Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of the matter and get a special grant released.

Mr. Thimmappa also released a handbook published by the Department of Information and Public Relations on the achievements of the State government. Shivamogga MLA K.B. Prasanna Kumar, Shivamogga Rural MLA Sharada Poorya Naik, zilla panchayat CEO Rakesh Kumar and Superintendent of Police Abhinav Khare were among those present.

THE HINDU