Puttur MLA Ashok Kumar Rai was urged to halt a formal meeting he had called to address the drinking water situation in his constituency because of a model code of conduct (MCC).
On Monday, the MLA had a debate at his Puttur office regarding the Jalasiri drinking water project. The MLA was requested to end the meeting, and the hall was shut, since the MCC—which the Election Commission of India had determined applicable to the Lok Sabha elections—was in effect.
The MLA called a meeting in response to reports of a severe water crisis that had occurred inside the Puttur City Municipal Council (CMC) boundaries during the previous fifteen days. There has been a severe water crisis in a number of places, including Periyathodi, Biravu, Manjalpadpu, Kemmayi, Chikkamudnoor, Nehru Nagar, and Mukrampady in Puttur.
During the conference, representatives from the Jalasiri project reported that the project had initiated a trial water supply program in January for the municipal area.
Three of the ten zones in Puttur City have a sufficient quantity of water. At Chikkamudnoor in the first zone, there is not enough water to fill the above tank. Twelve kilometers of pipeline still need to be laid, making a total of 158 kilometers of pipeline already installed. According to officials, the project and the pipelines installed under the KUDCEMP scheme are interconnected.
Within two days, MLA Rai urged the administration to find a solution to the drinking water crisis. Additionally, he threatened to hold a dharna in front of the CMC office if the problem with the drinking water was not resolved.
A group of officials, led by Tahsildar Kunhi Ahmed, hurried to the MLA’s office while the meeting was in progress. Since the meeting was taking place in contravention of the MCC, the officials requested that the MLA end it.
According to the MLA, he also follows the MCC. But he said, “I can’t remain silent when people aren’t receiving water in the MCC’s name.”
He insisted that representatives make sure each and every home in the district had access to clean drinking water. DC MLA Ashok Kumar Rai has reportedly received a notice for allegedly breaking the model code of conduct, according to Mullai Muhilan MP. The DC declared, “More action will be taken based on the report to be submitted by the officials.”
