Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (TU/SP)
Udupi, Aug 8: Absence of the nodal officer and officials of various departments forced villagers to boycott the first gram sabha of Hejamady panchayat on Thursday August 7.
According to Giriyappa, secretary, Hejamady gram panchatyath, district education officer D Manjunathaiah, who was the nodal officer for the meeting, could not attend the meeting due to emergency work.
But the villagers demanded for the presence of the nodal officer and also other officials concerned in the meeting, to question them regarding the alleged irregularities that have been reported from panchayat. Later, the villagers boycotted the meeting, saying that gram sabha, if conducted in the absence of the officials concerned, is null and void and becomes a futile exercise.