Over 3,200 power connections to be provided to farmers

Dharmapuri: The district administration has fixed a target to provide 3,263 electricity connections to farmers under various government schemes in the current fiscal. About 500 connections have been provided till date, said Collector Pankaj Kumar Bansal here on Monday.The State Government has sanctioned Rs.20 lakh to sink 51 borewells in panchayats selected under the Anaithu Gramam Anna Marumalarchi Thittam (AGAMT). The district administration was installing Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) and solar-powered lights in panchayats selected under AGAMT instead of lamps using conventional sources of energy.

It has installed about 1,657 CFL and 113 solar-powered lights in the panchayats so far. The Collector asked panchayat presidents to install solar-powered lights to cut down their monthly electricity bills. Mr. Bansal instructed officials concerned to expedite drought-relief works in Pennagaram, Palacode and Karimangalam blocks and submit a report on the same to the district administration.The Collector also instructed them to accord top priority to SC/ST self-help groups, widows and women deserted by their husbands while selecting beneficiaries under various government schemes.

Rs 99.79 laks alloted for drinking water

Dharmapuri :Collector Pankaj Kumar Bansal addressing a sensitisation workshop on National Rural Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance Programme in Dharmapuri on Tuesday.The Government has allotted an amount of Rs.99.79 lakh for implementation of National Rural Drinking Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance programme in Dharmapuri district, said Collector Pankaj Kumar Bansal.

Speaking at a sensitisation workshop for panchayat presidents here on Tuesday, the Collector said that the programme aims to impart skills and awareness on how the local villagers could test the water quality by using simple water quality kits developed by Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board (TWAD).

Officials from TWAD have imparted training in last December for SHG members, panchayat presidents and village volunteers. As part of strengthening effective convergence and cooperation of the local bodies the training was organised.

The water testing kits had been supplied to as many as 38 village panchayats in the district so far to check bacteriological contamination of water. Besides this about 90 kits would be supplied to panchayats in June. The remaining panchayats would be covered in a phased manner. Panchayat presidents should regularly monitor the water quality testing kits in their areas. They should also implement solid and liquid waste management in their panchayats.

Mr. Bansal said that lack of adequate awareness on handling of protected drinking water, contamination of ground water due to open defecation, improper handling of solid and liquid waste had resulted in prevalence of waterborne diseases among the rural folk.The project has been prepared to ensure that all families have easy access to safe and protected drinking water. SHG members, anganvadi workers, village health nurses and village volunteers would be involved in sanitary surveillance including initiating appropriate action for protection of water sources, effective maintenance of water bodies and regular maintenance of overhead tanks, distribution lines and hand pumps, Mr. Bansal added.

Jamabandhi to be conducted from June 20

Dharmapuri: Jamabandhi, the annual verification of revenue records, will be conducted in Dharmapuri district from June 20 to 27.In a statement issued here on Thursday, Collector Pankaj Kumar Bansal said that jamabandhi would be conducted in the taluk headquarters of Harur, Pennagaram, Dharmapuri, Pappireddipatti and Palacode.The Collector will conduct the jamabandhi in Harur taluk office.

The District Revenue Officer, R. Nagarajan, will conduct the same in Pennagaram taluk office; C. Visakan, Revenue Divisional Officer, in Dharmapuri taluk office; P. Murugan, Deputy Collector (Grievances cell), in Pappireddipatti taluk office and G. Kodandaram Gupta, Additional PA, Land, will conduct the same in Palacode taluk office.During jamabandhi, the officer in-charge will review the village accounts, collection of taxes and other revenue records of the concerned taluk. Petitions would also be received from the public during the jamabandhi days, the release said.

Heavy rain @ Dharmapuri

Dharmapuri: Heavy rain coupled with thunderstorms lashed various parts of Dharmapuri district for the second consecutive day on Monday.The average rainfall recorded during the past 24 hours ending at 8.30 a.m. on Monday is as follows: Collectorate - 41 mm, Dharmapuri - 28 mm and Pennagaram - 20 mm. However there was no rainfall at Panchapalli dam, the main source of drinking water supply to Dharmapuri town.

The average rainfall recorded in Krishnagiri is as follows: Krishnagiri - 49 mm, Shoolagiri - 20 mm, Uthangarai - 25 mm, Bengondapuram - 12 mm, Pochampalli - 6 mm, Barur - 4 mm, Hosur - 6 mm and Nedungal - 2 mm. Rain inundated low-lying areas in Krishnagiri town.

Rs. 115 crore to self-help groups

Dharmapuri: The banks in the district have decided to lend Rs. 115 crore to self-help groups during the current year.An amount of Rs. 100.30 crore was disbursed during the previous year, said Collector Pankaj Kumar Bansal at the district-level bankers committee meeting here on Saturday.Bank deposits in Dharmapuri district had touched Rs. 558.34 crore as against Rs. 115.41 crore the previous year, an increase of 124 per cent.The district administration would disburse revolving funds to SHGs under the Swarna Jayanthi Grama Rozgar Yojana in the current fiscal.

Loan assistance to the tune of Rs. 197.54 lakh was disbursed to 480 youths to start small enterprises under the Prime Minister's Rozgar Yojana (PMRY).The district administration had fixed a target of 520 youths under PMRY scheme in the current fiscal, the Collector said.Loans would be sanctioned for the selected youth for starting self-employment ventures such as sale of Aavin milk products, DTP and internet centres, STD booth, electrical and electronic items sales and service, cell phone service, automobile service centre, vulcanising and welding works, powerlooms, silk reeling, mini flour mill, water repair and other viable projects.Beneficiaries selected under the above scheme would be given training before disbursement of the loan.

An amount of Rs. 1 lakh would be sanctioned to candidates for starting business and Rs. 2 lakh for starting service/industrial activity.The family income ceiling under the PMRY scheme had been enhanced from Rs. 24,000 per annum to Rs. 40,000 per annum. The selection of candidates would be conducted in all the block headquarters in the district Mr. Bansal added.

Revolving fund to be provided to 390 SHGs

Dharmapuri: Director, Rural Development Gagandeep Singh Bedi reviewed the progress of development works in Dharmapuri district on Saturday. Mr. Bedi said that development works to the tune of Rs.1 crore would be taken up in each panchayat selected under the Anaithu Gramam Anna Marumalarchi Thittam (AGAMT) in the district. He directed the district administration to complete the works in the selected panchayats on a warfooting. Tenders had been floated and drought-relief works would be carried out in the affected villages shortly, he said.

Mr. Bedi also reviewed the progress of development works carried out under AGAMT, Swarna Jayanthi Grama Rozgar Yojana (SGRY), MP and MLA constituency development fund, NABARD rural roads and PMGSY scheme. He instructed officials concerned to expedite the works on time.

Dharmapuri district was the first in the State to issue work orders under the SGSY scheme. The Government was providing a subsidy of Rs.37, 000 and Rs.12, 500 respectively for construction of group houses and Kutcha houses. In addition, an amount of Rs.1, 200 would be given to beneficiaries for construction of individual household toilets. Mahalir Thittam has planned to disburse revolving fund to 390 self-help groups, economic assistance to 138 SHGs and economic assistance through the Tamil Nadu Adi-Dravidar and Housing Development Corporation (TAHDCO) to 48 SHGs in the district in the current fiscal.

The State Government had sanctioned Rs.135 crore under the panchayat union school renovation scheme in the current year. Works, including electrification, provision of lighting and ceiling fans, and whitewashing of school buildings would be taken up in the selected panchayats. A village-level committee would be formed to review the facilities in panchayat union primary and middle schools in the State. Collector Pankaj Kumar Bansal presided over the meeting. Project Officer DRDA G. Rajam and other district officials were present.