Udupi:  Revenue Minister R.V. Deshpande on Tuesday took officials to task for their failure to solve drinking water problem during summer and cleaning storm-water drains. He was chairing a review meeting at the zilla panchayat Hall.

Mr. Deshpande also faulted the officials for not giving importance to cleanliness and sanitation programmes and warned them of disciplinary action. He directed Deputy Commissioner Hephsiba Rani Korlapati, and Zilla Panchayat CEO Sindhu B. Rupesh to visit gram panchayats in the district and get first-hand information.

K. Raghupati Bhat, MLA, said the Udupi municipality had provided water through tankers only to four municipal wards, while the remaining 31 wards had not got water through tankers. Mr. Deshpande threatened to issue show-cause notice to municipal officers.

“There is a decline in rainfall in coastal districts. Nature is angry with us. We should plant trees, increase cleanliness. We should dig percolation pits,” he said.

When Mr. Bhat said the Forest Department was refusing to give permission for the construction of houses on 21 acres of land at Uppoor because there were plantations on it, Mr. Deshpande said that when the land did not belong to the Forest Department, it could not interfere in the matter.

“Did the Forest Department take permission to plant the acacia trees on land belonging to Revenue Department? Hence, the trees should be felled in a week and the matter should be resolved in a week,” he said. Mr. Deshpande questioned the tahsildars of Udupi, Kaup, Karkala, and Kundapur taluks on the grants utilised by them in their respective taluks. He then directed Ms. Korlapati to release Rs. 40 lakh each to Udupi and Brahmavar taluks and Rs. 30 lakh for Kaup taluk.

“I have written several letters to the Deputy Commissioners and Zilla Panchayat CEOs on how they should utilise funds for drinking water during summer. It is wrong not to utilise funds when they are available,” Mr. Deshpande said.