MLAs to handle action plan for roads: A.G. Kodgi

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, December 4: Some zilla panchayat members were shocked on Friday to learn that the action plan they had recently cleared for repairs of rural roads at a cost of Rs. 2.5 crore had been brought under the supervision of local MLAs.

 

 

 

 

The zilla panchayat members, gathered to participate in a meeting convened by A.G. Kodgi, chairman of the Third State Finance Commission (SFC) Recommendations Implementation Task Force, expressed their ire over the Government decision to take the project out of their purview. Describing the move as anti-decentratlisation, they opposed shifting of the scheme from the district sector to State sector, which meant that its implementation would be supervised by the local MLAs and not zilla panchayats.

Chief executive officer of the panchayat P. Shivashankar said the Government had sanctioned Rs. 50 lakh to each of the five taluks of the district for repair of “Zilla Panchayat Roads.”

Mr. Shivashankar said panchayat president Santhosh Kumar Bhandari had written to the Government opposing this.

Mr. Kodgi, an avid proponent of decentralisation of powers, expressed his displeasure, and said, “government circulars are not law,” and suggested to the zilla panchayat to pass a resolution opposing the move. He said if all the zilia panchayats passed resolutions against the latest circular, “the Government will be caught on the wrong foot. It will have to change its order immediately.”

Panchayat member M. Thungappa Bangera (Sarapady) suggested the Government should abolish zilla panchayats instead of rendering them powerless.

MLC Kota Srinivas Poojary pointed out that when a Government had passed a similar order years ago favouring MLCs and making them ultimate authorities in selecting beneficiaries, the High Court had come to the rescue of the zilla panchayat.

thehindu