Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Oct 27: The adjourned session of Dakshina Kannada zilla panchayat (ZP) organized on Thursday October 26 had to be postponed for want of quorum. Congress members who stayed away from the meeting caused shortage of quorum.

At the general session of the ZP held on October 16, BJP members had accused district in-charge minister of interference in the administration of zilla panchayat. During discussions on sand transportation, the ZP president had mentioned the name of the district in-charge minister, which had angered the Congress members who had entered the well and held protest. The meeting was adjourned thereafter and October 26 was fixed to hold the adjourned session.

When questioned, ZP chief executive officer told BJP members that quorum of 50 percent is required to hold the session. As the Congress members, who were waiting at the office of the standing committee chairman, stayed away from the zilla panchayat session, thus causing quorum shortage.

Leader of the opposition in the zilla panchayat, M S Muhammed, and senior member, Mamata Gatti, said that they would have settled the issue amicably if the ZP president had invited them for talks in her room. ZP president, Meenakshi Shantigodu, who felt that the behaviour of the Congress members in not attending the meeting was improper, pointed out that various important issues were to be discussed at the session. She said that the earlier session too had to be adjourned as Congress insisted on her apology. She however said she is prepared to hold talks with them.