Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (SM/SP)

Udupi, Jan 15: Former minister and MLC, Kota Srinivas Poojary, asserted that the recent ammendment to Karnataka Panchayat raj Act 1993, passed by the ruling party in spite of stiff opposition from the opposition in the legislative assembly, will be blocked at the legislative council. He was addressing a press conference here on Friday January 14.

“Every act and amendment needs the nod of both houses of the legislature. As the government is aware that it does no enjoy majority in the upper house, it has not yet tabled this amendment in the council. As this ammendment is unconstitutional and extra constitutional, the amendment will be fought tooth and nail in the council. This ammendment results in injustice for backward classes,” he said.

Poojary explained that the ammendment prescribes compulsory convening of gram Sabhas regularly once in six months. It provides for invalidation of the memberships of panchayat members who fail to attend ward meetings, and of the panchayat president, who does not attend the gram sabha. This directly affects the grassroot-level panchayat members. This amendment is not required, as the original act has provisions for taking corrective steps. As the amendment takes away rights of people’s representatives, it is fit to be rejected, he said.

Poojary pointed out that shortage of grant has been acting as deterrent in holding of ward and gram sabhas by panchayats. “People stay away from ward and gram sabha if their problems do not get solved. Therefore, it is the bounden duty of the government to release sufficient grants to gram panchayats. Out of eight lac rupees released annually by the government to gram panchayats, 60 percent goes towards electricity bill, with the remaining 40 percent towards staff and office expenses, as per the government guidance. Where is the money for addressing problems of the people? Income generated indigenously is not enough for rural development. Therefore, the first step of the government should be to hike the grants, not ammending the act,” Poojary argued.

He questioned the sincerity of the government in making efforts to rein in gram panchayat members, the last link in the administrative chain, instead tackling others in the line. He questioned as to why the government has failed to apply the same yardstick for zilla panchayat and taluk panchayat members, MLAs, ministers, MPs, etc. He pointed out that panchayat members always are in contact with the people, and hence, making their memberships invalid is not a right step.

BJP district secretary, Shyamala Kundar, was present.