Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel and Mandya Member of Parliament H.D. Kumaraswamy on Thursday advised banks to maintain a people-friendly approach while dealing with the public, particularly farmers.
Presiding over the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) meeting at the Zilla Panchayat in Mandya, the Minister said that no bank should exert pressure on farmers for loan repayment. He instructed officials to investigate complaints of such practices.
He suggested that suitable government land be identified in Nagamangala or Malavalli for establishing industries and told officials to initiate land acquisition.
The Minister said the district has not faced water scarcity this year due to adequate rainfall. Water has been released to Tamil Nadu as per the agreement and water to local farmlands has been released since July, he added.
Expressing concern over frequent accidents along the Hanakere-Gowdahalli stretch, Mr. Kumaraswamy said that an underpass has been approved and asked officials to start the work at the earliest. He also called for preventive measures along the Muttatti-Halaguru route.
Pointing out that 77 crusher units are operating in the district, he directed officials to take strict action against illegal mining and crushing activities.
He instructed the Food and Civil Supplies Department to ensure that no eligible BPL card holder is removed during the ongoing revision. “Only ineligible beneficiaries should be removed,” he warned.
The Minister said the Animal Husbandry Department has achieved 100% vaccination against foot-and-mouth disease in livestock. Additionally, 18,000 stray dogs in the district have been vaccinated against rabies and sterilisation measures are underway.
Mandya MLA P. Ravikumar said that accidents along the VC Canal have increased and that ₹8 crore has been released for constructing safety walls and speed breakers. Fifteen people have died in VC canal accidents.
Deputy Commissioner Kumar said that heavy rains in October damaged 78 houses and 80 hectares of crops. Joint surveys have been completed and compensation will be credited directly to farmers’ bank accounts.
Zilla Panchayat CEO K.R. Nandini said that to support women’s livelihood, 24 mobile fish-food outlets named Akka’s Home Meal have been launched through women’s self-help groups. Also, 49 lakes have been leased to these groups to supply fresh fish, she added.
Published – November 06, 2025 06:22 pm IST
