Effective ’Panchayat Raj Act’ implementation vital

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Oct 25, 2016: At an interaction programme of Members of Sugrama Elected Gram Panchayat Women Members’ Federation urged the elected representatives, including the district in-charge minister, to strengthen gram panchayats by implementing Karnataka Panchayat Raj (second amendment) Act 2015 effectively.

 

]

Sugrama members with District In-charge Minister Ramanath Rai, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies U T Khader and MLC Kota Srinivas Poojary, organised by the Jana Shikshana Trust, the Hunger Project and the Sugrama Elected Gram Panchayat Women Members’ Federation here on Oct 24,Monday, the members said the Karnataka Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj Act (2015) came into effect on February 25, 2016. But it has not been implemented effectively across the state.

In a memorandum submitted to the minister, the members said the funds for the gram panchayats should be released completely to take up development works rather than deducting 50% of the amount to pay electricity bills of the gram panchayats.

The panchayat development officers (PDOs) should be appointed to all the gram panchayats to take up development works effectively. At present, several gram panchayats do not have a regular As the gram panchayats have 50% of women representatives, a separate rest room and toilets should be constructed in all the gram panchayats.

The monthly honorarium for the gram panchayat members should be increased to Rs 5,000 for president, Rs 4,000 for vice president and Rs 3,000 for members. The state government should ensure that the term of gram panchayat president and vice president remains at five years as per the Karnataka Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj Act. Several gram panchayats in the state have been misusing the Act by forcibly asking the president to tender resignation after a year, thereby curtailing the president’s power, they demanded.

When members said gambling has affected several poor families in the district, the district in-charge minister said gambling, one of the social evils, needs to be checked. Women representatives should fight against such evil system with the effective implementation of the law against such evil system. Women representatives should raise their voice against such evils, he stated.

Perabe gram panchayat member Gangarathna urged the minister to help all 3,618 endosulfan victims’ houses to get solar power in the district. All the 40 endosulfan victims families in Perabe gram panchayat have been able to get solar power with the efforts of MLC Ivan D’Souza, she added.

While interacting with the members, MLC Kota Srinivas Poojary urged the gram panchayat members to pass resolutions in respective gram sabha and gram panchayat meetings in a transparent manner within the framework of the law.

The gram sabhas are hardly conducted in gram panchayats except in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada and Kodagu districts. The gram panchayat members should work in unity for the progress of the villages.

Jana Shikshana Trust directors Sheena Shetty, Krishna Moolya, Savitha, district representative in members of Sugrama Elected Gram Panchayat Women Members Federation were present.