From Pending Pensions to Crop Loss — Grievances Pour in At Kalaghatagi Janata Darshan

Kalaghatagi: Carrying petitions, hope, and a list of long-pending problems, residents from across Dharwad district turned up at the Janata Darshan in Kalghatgi on Tuesday — and many returned hopeful — some after receiving on-the-spot responses, others with assurances of early action.

To address public grievances effectively, a Janata Darshan (public interaction programme) was organised in Kalaghatagi on Tuesday, where Labour and Dharwad District In-charge Minister Santosh S Lad heard citizens’ complaints and directed officials to take prompt action.

The programme, held at the Town Panchayat Cultural Hall near Bammigatti Cross, saw a steady stream of people arriving with grievances ranging from delayed pensions and power connections to land disputes, school facilities, and pending crop insurance claims.

For 55-year-old Parashuram Patil, an outsourced worker at the Karnataka Medical College, the meeting brought a ray of hope after months without pay. “We have been waiting for our salaries for four months,” he said. The minister instructed KIMS officials to resolve the issue immediately.

Basavaraj Bellad from Mishrikoti village raised concerns about crop damage caused by heavy rains and delays in insurance compensation. Minister Lad asked officials to expedite the disbursal. Rehman Khadarasab Nadaf from Mavinakoppa village alleged that the Forest Department had encroached on his agricultural land, prompting the minister to direct officials to take swift action.

Shankar Ramu Lamani said he had been struggling for a year to obtain ownership documents for his property, while Renuka Devendra Lamani pointed out that her dairy farming application had been pending for over a year. The minister assured them of early resolution.

Residents of Jinnoor village complained that their government high school had been without drinking water, electricity, and other basic facilities for the past year. The minister directed officials to make immediate arrangements.

Chairing the 18th Janata Darshan programme, Minister Lad said the initiative had proved to be an effective platform for resolving public grievances. “So far, 17 such programmes have been successfully held, and over 3,000 petitions have been resolved,” he noted.

He added that several issues — including widow and old-age pensions, caste and income certificates, land disputes, drinking water supply, sanitation, electricity connections, and transport facilities — have been addressed either on the spot or shortly after the hearings.