Daijiworld Media Network - Sullia (SP)

Sullia, Aug 4: The tug-of-war between the local town panchayat and taluk panchayat resulted in a wall being built and then demolished, at the cost of the tax payers’ money. While the taluk panchayat constructed the wall by engaging some workers,, the town panchayat demolished it by hiring its own workers.

The taluk panchayat had decided to build a three metre-wide and three-metre high wall in front of its office here, for displaying publicity material relating to the much-publicized National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS). Under the supervision of zilla panchayat junior engineer Hukkeri, a contractor started constructing the wall with the help of six workers. When the wall came up to the height of over a metre, town panchayat president N A Ramachandra noticed the wall that was coming up by the roadside.

It is learnt, he questioned the concerned about building the wall without obtaining licence from the town panchayat. He also instructed the town panchayat engineer to demolish the 'unauthorized' wall being built by the taluk panchayat. Engineer Arun Kumar immediately took five workers with him and demolished the wall. The laterite stones brought for building the wall were shifted to the compound of the town panchayat office.

While the taluk panchayat failed to set up publicity material for the NREGS, 11 workers got a day's 'employment guarantee' because of this episode.