by Chethan Padubidri
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SB)

Udupi, Aug 22: Minister for rural development and panchayat raj Jagadish Shettar on Saturday August 21 said that the government has decided to make improvements to the administrative system by forming a separate directorate, strengthen taluk panchayats and also provide job security to the employees.

He was speaking after inaugurating state-level Maha Sammelan organized for the employees jointly by state gram panchayat secretary, panchayat development officers and Panchayat Employees' Sangh, Bangalore and Dakshina Kannada district unit at the Rajangana of Sri Krishna Mutt here. He said that in the coming days the department will chalk out plans to provide job security to the employees, but primarily the focus of the employees need to be on becoming duty conscious. There
are demands from different corners of the state to abolish taluk panchayat system. But as of now the constitutionally provided three-tier panchayat raj system cannot be amended, he said.

Minister pointed out that districts such as Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada have achieved over 90 per cent tax collection with Udupi leading the pack and questioned the employees that why was it not possible in the other parts of the state. He assured to consider the demand of gra panchayat employees to consider them as government employees on a condition that they would help the government in increasing the revenue by achieving in the least 90 per cent of tax collection. Minister also proposed to give a grant of Rs 6 lac to Rs 12 lac in the current year to each gram panchayat depending on the population of the village.

Paryaya seer Sri Laxmivarateertha Swamiji blessed the occasion. Udupi MLA K Raghupati Bhat  presided. Home minister Dr V S Acharya, Shilpa Jagadish Shettar, MP D V Sadanand Gowda, MLAs Lalaji R Mendon and Gopal Bhandar, taluk panchayat presidemt Shyamala Sudhakar, vice-president, Sowmya Nayak, GP Okkoota president Devi Prasad Shetty, GP president Gladya Almeida, Udupi zilla panchayat chief executive officer N Rajashekaran, Employees State Sangh president K J Krishna Gowda, Udupi district president Lakshman Shetty and Jagannath Bhandary were present.

President Devi Prasad Shetty who was unanimously elected from Belapu gram panchayat, janardan Maravante from Maravante GP and other GP veteran leaders were felicitated on the occasion.

He also inaugurated ‘Samarthya Saudha’ and laid foundation stone for the Stree Shakti Soudha, a facility for the development of SHGs, at the premises of Taluk Panchayat here. The minister also inaugurated MLA Bhat's office at the soudha on the occasion.