Bidar to get 750-bed teaching hospital.

The State Cabinet’s decision to build a 750-bed teaching hospital for the Bidar Institute of Medical Sciences (BRIMs) fulfils a long-pending demand. This will ensure that the people of the district get access to quality healthcare and need not travel to Hyderabad or Solapur for tertiary care.

Bidar was not on the list of districts in which the State government had decided to open five new government medical colleges in 2005. Continued agitation by citizens’ groups, such as the Government Medical College Horata Samiti, forced the government to concede the demand.

The initial plans of the government had funds earmarked for the college building, but not for the teaching hospital. Students were tagged to the district government hospital. The construction of a new hospital was delayed so much so that the first batch of MBBS students passed out of the college without having ever worked in an exclusive teaching hospital. Another important proposal that was cleared was the construction of four bridges on the Manjra to enable easy movement between Bidar, Aurad, Basavakalyan and Bhalki taluks. “This was among our longest-pending demands. We welcome the Cabinet’s decision,” Ishwar Khandre, Bhalki MLA, said. He, however, demanded that the government start work on the bridges soon.

Another proposal, to develop ring roads around Bidar at a cost of Rs. 9 crore, was also approved. A team led by officials such as the district in-charge Secretary E.V. Ramana Reddy and Deputy Commissioner P.C. Jaffer had taken up the matter with the Ministers concerned and senior officials, sources said.

More:http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/bidar-to-get-750bed-teaching-hospital/article4015351.ece

Officials told to speed up works under MNREGA.

Deputy Chief Minister K.S. Eshwarappa has expressed concern over the slow pace of works under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) in Bidar district.

At a review meeting here on Tuesday, Mr. Eshwarappa said the works had started only in 97 of the 175 gram panchayats in the district. Bidar seems to lag behind in all departments, he said. He asked the officials to start works and ensure payment of salaries to workers within two weeks.

Mr. Eshwarappa said the government would approve a proposal for supplying drinking water from the Gandori Nala to 18 villages under the Kohinoor Zilla Panchayat.

Mr. Eshwarappa instructed the Gulbarga Electricity Supply Company (Gescom) officials to supply power to borewells without seeking deposits.

He congratulated Deputy Commissioner P.C. Jaffer and his staff for reducing the pendency of applications under the Sakala scheme to 1 per cent. It was 27 per cent earlier.

The pendency of applications in nemmadi kendras had also reduced to 15,000 from 30,000, he said.

He said the government would start nemmadi kendras in all hoblis from November 1.

Camps

Mr. Jaffer said camps for enrolling people with disabilities under the monthly pension scheme would be conducted after the Dasara holidays.

More:http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/officials-told-to-speed-up-works-under-mnrega/article4004259.ece

Annual grant to Bal Bhavan committee raised to Rs. 5 crore

The State government has increased the annual grants to the Bal Bhavan committee to Rs. 5 crore from Rs. 10 lakh last year, committee president Sulochana Bhat said here on Saturday.

“We are organising co-curricular activities and art competitions for children across the year. We have just completed a set of song, dance and drama competitions. We will organise a State-level painting competition in November and send the winners to a national-level competition,” she said. Students from the Hyderabad Karnataka region will be trained in the folk arts of south Karnataka at a camp in Madikeri next month, she added.

She said that the district administration had utilised two-and-a-half acres of land belonging to the Bal Bhavan to construct the swimming pool in Bidar.

“That is why we have instructed officials in charge of the pool to train our students for free,” the committee president said.

More:http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/karnataka/annual-grant-to-bal-bhavan-committee-raised-to-rs-5-crore/article3994841.ece