Bhatkal: Chairing the quarterly KDP meeting at the Bhatkal Taluk Panchayat office, Bhatkal MLA and Uttara Kannada District In-charge Minister Mankal Vaidya stressed the importance of maintaining cleanliness in the newly inaugurated Hi-Tech Fish Market. He directed the Municipal Chief Officer to prepare a plan, draft a budget, and submit an estimate for setting up vegetable, fruit, chicken, and mutton shops around the market so that customers would not have to go elsewhere for their needs.
Expressing satisfaction, the Minister noted that the market has been witnessing an increasing number of buyers as well as vendors, and people have been appreciating the facility and its cleaner environment. However, he insisted that municipal authorities must pay greater attention to hygiene and ensure there is no negligence in maintaining cleanliness.
The Minister of Ports, Fisheries, and Inland Water Transport further announced that the government has taken steps to fill vacant posts in various departments within the next four months. He explained that in Bhatkal Taluk, as well as in other regions, several posts had been lying vacant for years, hampering departmental functioning. The government is fully aware of this issue, he said, adding that staff has already been appointed in the Survey and Transport Departments in Bhatkal, while the process of filling vacancies in other departments is ongoing.
Addressing issues related to the Health Department, the Minister urged doctors to focus on serving the poor, emphasizing that they should not direct patients to purchase medicines from outside. “Serving the public will benefit you in the long run,” he said.
During the meeting, Mankal Vaidya once again expressed his displeasure over the misuse of agents in the Revenue Department. He pointed out that whether it concerns hotel license renewals or NA conversion processes, people were being forced to rely on agents for their work. “If you cannot serve the public directly, then vacate your positions, but do not subject people to unnecessary harassment,” the Minister warned officials sternly.
The issue of increasing inter-caste marriages in Bhatkal was also raised. Geetha Hegde, Assistant Director of the Social Welfare Department, informed that a large number of applications for financial assistance under the inter-caste marriage scheme had been received. However, due to a shortage of funds, many beneficiaries had not yet received timely aid. Responding to this, Minister Vaidya said that encouraging inter-caste marriages was vital for eradicating untouchability, and it was the responsibility of officers to support this cause. “Do not lose morale because of the high number of applications; the government will allocate the required funds,” he assured.
Answering objections regarding the formation of the Bhatkal City Municipal Council by merging Bhatkal Municipality, Jali Pattan Panchayat, and Heble Gram Panchayat, Vaidya clarified that the move was not intended to appease anyone. He added that if necessary, steps would also be taken in the future to include Mundalli, Muttalli, and Shirali to form a Metropolitan Corporation.
Regarding objections to the inclusion of Heble in the Bhatkal City Municipal Council, the Minister explained that the Panchayat had been struggling with severe waste disposal issues for years—problems that had even drawn international attention. “This problem can only be effectively resolved under the jurisdiction of the Bhatkal City Municipal Council,” he asserted.
Several other issues were also discussed during the meeting, and the Minister issued necessary directions to the concerned officers.
The meeting was attended by Tahsildar Nagendra Kolashetty, In-charge Executive Officer of the Taluk Panchayat Rajesh Mahale, In-charge President of the Bhatkal Town Municipal Council Altaf Kharuri, and several other officials.