Media Release

Bengaluru, Mar 10: MLC Manjunath Bhandary met the chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday, March 10 and appealed to him to increase the honorarium for the elected representatives of gram panchayats and provide them other facilities. All members of the local bodies were present during the meeting.

In his appeal, Manjunath Bhandary told Bommai that in recent days people were hesitant to contest local body elections, especially women and from reserved constituencies. "The main reason for this is that the elected representatives are not getting any kind of privileges or expected honorarium. Gram panchayat members' honorarium has not increased over the past five years and now they are getting just Rs 1,000 per month."

"All the elected representatives are from rural areas and have no other basic income. Once elected, members are deprived of their other occupations or present job, and their financial situation worsens. According to the reservation in the Gram Panchayat elections, more than 50 per cent elected are women, people from scheduled castes/scheduled tribes and economically backward class. If their economic condition improves, they can fully involve themselves in rural development and implement government programs effectively", Bhandary explained.

Thus, Manjunath Bhandary appealed to the chief minister that the gram panchayat members honorarium should be increased to at least Rs. 10,000 per month, increase the honorarium for elected representatives of other local bodies in accordance with their work, provide free bus pass to elected representatives at district level, provide health insurance and free medical care, provide pension for elected representatives who have completed 5 years and also provide houses for elected representatives from scheduled castes/scheduled tribes and economically backward class who don’t have own houses.