DISTRICT WIDE AWARENESS TO BLOCK CORRUPTION;

Madikeri January 13, 2008

Close on the heels of people discovering corrupt practice by falsely recording road measurements and claiming full bill, residents of Srimangala have decided to create district wide awareness to stop illegal practices.

People resolved to form committees all over the district and decided to monitor the public works, especially roads and bridges.

A meeting involving public and various organizations was held yesterday at Srimangala and people spoke about various irregularities found in public works. They alleged that strong nexus between officials and contractors is landing public with substandard work.

Planter Dolly Chengappa spoke on the occasion and said that the guilty officials should be brought under book and contractors should be black listed. President of the planters association, Katti Mandaiah asserted that the officials are involved in day light robbery. K.M.Chinnappa advised that the erred should be punished according to law by producing records.

Former member of Zilla Panchayath, Jaji Uthappa regretted that people turn a blind eye even when they witness sub standard work going on in front of them. He suggested that a district wide awareness to protect public fund should begin from Srimangala.

The meeting made the engineer Srinivas, who had passed the bill even when the work was incomplete was made to stand throughout the proceedings.

ZP member Balakrishna, Vijay Nanjappa and others spoke on the occasion. President of the Srimangala Gram Panchayath Shyla Subramani presided over the meeting.

PROTEST AT KANUR TOMORROW;

A protest rally is organized at Kanur to oppose high tension wire work.

Addressing a press conference here yesterday, MLC Arun Machaiah and other heads of different organizations from South Kodagu said that they will not allow high tension wire crossing from their lands at any cost.

Machaiah said that officials and power grid officials are misleading the people. Even the deputy commissioner has not taken people into confidence, he alleged. A high tension wire crossing over estates and forest will cause health hazards, he warned. He also cautioned against forming any hydel projects in the district and said that the government can save power if it can stop pilferage and leakages. Thirty percent of the power generated goes waste due to leakage, he informed.