Mysuru: State municipal administration minister HC Balakrishna on Tuesday directed urban local body officials to concentrate on mobilisation of resources and revenue collection, as such measures are a must for effective implementation of govt programmes to carry out the development works in their limits.Chairing a meeting with urban local body officials of Hassan and Mandya districts at the office of regional commissioner in Mysuru, the minister said Union and state govts release 30% of the project cost under various schemes for all urban local bodies. “Officials must mobilise the remaining resources from their jurisdictions and sources, focusing on property tax and water tax for effective implementation of development works,” he stated.He said the department will soon issue an order to urban local bodies to develop private roads after taking them under their control. The minister also cautioned officials that serious action would be initiated against them if they were negligent in recovering monthly rent from their tenants.Following complaints of the snail’s pace of drinking water supply and underground drainage supply works in various urban local bodies, the minister said another special meeting involving officials, contractors, local elected representatives and MLAs will be held soon to discuss the issue threadbare to sort out the obstacles to expedition of such works.Balakrishna also said that he would write a letter to all deputy commissioners to reserve at least five acres on the outskirts of all towns for distribution of sites and construction of houses for pourakarmikas in every district.Excise minister and Hassan district minister KM Shivalingegowda urged Balakrishna to ease the shortage of staff in urban local bodies as it is affecting the implementation of development works. Responding to this, Balakrishna directed urban local body officials to appoint staff on an outsourcing basis to ease the staff crunch, besides recalling their staff working in other departments to their parent department.MLAs A Manju and AB Rameshbabu Bandisiddegowda, and municipal administration director P Ravindra were present.
