BENGALURU: The Department of Planning and Statistics has instructed corporations and town municipalities to hold review meetings every four months. The directive is along the lines of Karnataka Development Programme held in rural areas by village, taluk and zilla panchayats, which review various activities taken up in the areas. Now, along with the zilla panchayat, the mayor, district in-charge minister and other officials will also have to conduct similar meetings to review the progress of various works.
Minister for Planning, Programme Monitoring and Statistics M R Seetharam said many works were being neglected. “The district in-charge minister will be chairman of the committee and the ministers will review the activities of 10 corporations and all other municipal bodies coming under the district once every four months,” he said.
The 10 corporations are Mysuru, Mangaluru, Belagavi, Hubballi-Dharwad, Vijayapura, Kalaburagi, Ballari, Shivamogga, Tumakuru and Davangere.
Meanwhile, notwithstanding the controversy over the proximity of the proposed steel bridge, Seetharam, who also handles Science and Technology portfolio, said that they will upgrade Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium at a cost of `12 crore. Some of the gadgets and equipment in the planetarium are being replaced and the new set-up will be open to the public in January 2017. Chairman of the Planetarium U R Rao had met Siddaramaiah and BDA officials to discuss the issue.
Other initiatives
Land allotted for Science Gallery at Indian Veterinary Research Institute campus at Hebbal
3D digital planetarium to be established at Regional Science Centre, Dharwad, at a cost of B22 crore
One mobile planetarium to be launched soon. Two more getting ready at a cost of B1.20 crore each