Silvester D’Souza

Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (EP)

Kundapur, May 22: Kundapur taluk panchayat raj Okkoota opposed the state government’s plans of appointing a managing committee for the gram panchayats for the next six months. Terming that as a violation of panchayatraj act, they said that it is better to go for elections instead of appointments.

“Gram panchayat system is known to be free from politics. Appointment of a managing committee will cause political confusion. The proposed managing committee will exist only for six months. Nearly two months out of those will be utilized for appointment of office bearers. Is the committee worth only for the remaining four months?” asked the Okkoota.

“The state government has no authority to avoid elections. The actions of the government should be within the parameters of the constitution,” they said referring to the various sections of the Karnataka Gram Swaraj Act and Panchayatraj Act.

“The state government should give up its decision. Meanwhile, elections should be held in a simple manner. Otherwise the current gram panchayat system should be continued as a midterm government. We will resort for a campaign for the survival of a local government besides going for legal recourse if the state government does not relent,” said Kundapur taluk panchayat raj Okkoota president, Udaya Kumar Shetty and chief secretary, Sadashiva D Paduvari in a press release.