Kundapur: Ruckus at Gangolli gram sabha as official tries to assault GP member

Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld News Network – Kundapur

Kundapur, Sep 4: Call it high-handedness or helplessness, a guiding official allegedly tried to assault a gram panchayat member which led to chaos for sometime during the gram sabha at Gangolli near here on Tuesday September 2.

The gram sabha held at the Veeresha Mangalya Mandir at Gangolli witnessed chaos right from the beginning. Even afer the gram sabha started, the ruckus continued. Amidst these a few fisherwomen barged in and tried filing applications for availing fisheries pass book. Perturbed by this, ZP member Anant Mowadi walked out of the gram sabha.

Soon, Sanna Chikkaiah, the headmaster of the government high school, Tallur who had come in as the moderator for the gram sabha, too followed Anant. Their walkout irked another member, Raghavendra Pai, and he requested Chikkaiah not to leave the meeting. However, Chikkaiah got offended and he got engaged in a verbal battle with Pai and in a fit of rage he tried to assault Raghavendra Pai. Irked by this, the supporters of Raghavendra demanded apologies from the moderator and began protesting. Finally after the panchayat development officer assured that Chikkaiah will tender public apology, the gram sabha resumed.

Local Hindu Jagarana Vedike (HJV) member Vasudeva and a few of his supporters raised the issue of illegal construction that has been going on in the area without permission from the Gangolli gram panchayat. They accused that despite giving assurances that suitable action will be taken against the violators, the gram panchayat has not yet taken any action. However the official said that a case in this regard is pending with the High Court. Since it is subjudice, it is difficult for the gram panchayat to take any action at this stage, he said. The officials also requested the HJV activists to wait till the HC decision. However, this response did not satisfy the HJV activists Vasudeva, Ravindra Kothari, Ratnakara Ganiga, Raghavendra Ganiga, Mohan Kharvi, Mani Kharvi, Suresh Kharvi, Ganesh Shenoy etc. Hence they stormed out of the gram sabha immediately.

A few locals also raised the issue of irregularities in the distribution of BPL cards. They alleged that they actually have not been given BPL card while a few who do not come under the BPL, have obtained BPL cards by illegal means. So measures must be taken to issue BPL cards to the needy and BPL card holders must be given wheat, sugar and kerosene as before, they demanded.

A few people also suggested that Schedule Caste and Scheduled Tribes persons must be given ‘A’ Class membership in the Gangolli Fisheries Cooperative Society. Responding to this query, concerned official Ravi said that he has already spoken about this with the Society secretary. However this change can only be brought about by amending the by-law of the Society. Hence the amendment will be effectuated in the next meeting and thereafter suitable action will be taken, he said. People also raised issue regarding the drinking water problem, electricity problem with the panchayat limits. People also complained that beneficiaries of some of the government schemes such as Sandhya Suraksha ect have not been getting their pension for the last 2-3 months. The officials assured to look into the issue and resolve it at the earliest.

Locals from the Gangolli dock area also demanded that the sheds, shops and small rooms that have been erected in near the dock, must be distributed through an open bidding. Any failure in this regard will result in massive protest, they warned the officials.

It was unanimously decided that suitable action must be taken against officials of MESCOM, panchayat raj, PWD department who gave a slip to the gram sabha.

Gangolli gram panchayat president Sakamma presided over the meeting while Talloor government school headmaster Sanna Chikkaiah was the moderator. ZP member Anant Mowadi, Vice-president Sharada Sherugar, GP members Srinivas Kharvi, Raghavendra Pai, Lakshmi Ganiga, Gopal Kharvi, Raja Kharvi, Raghavendra Devadiga, Saku, Durgaraj Poojary, Surekha Kanoji, Sarojini, Nagamma, officials from various departments, CWC member etc were also present at the meeting. GP development officer, deputy director of the fisheries department Ravi, Gangolli PHC head Dr Shweta, Gangolli Sub-Inspector Sampat Kumar, Gangolli village accountant Raghavendra Devadiga, Gangolli dock official Kishor Kumar updated with the attendees with various information.

GP secretary Rajeshwari Chandavara welcomed and GP staff Dinesh Sherugar read the report.