Udupi: Panchayath Development Officers conduct protest

By Snehalatha, Udupi
Bellevision Media Network

Udupi, 20 October 2011: Panchayath Development Officers Welfare Association conducted protest on the continuous harassment and obstructions applied on the newly appointed Development Officers while performing their lawful duties in various incidents that have taken place in the Panchayath system.  They demanded that they should be given proper protection and submitted their petition to the Chief Minister.
 
Development Officers from the various Grama Panchayaths of Udupi District conducted protest in front of the Udupi Jilla Panchayath Office, against the harassment taking place on them. The petition submitted for the chief Minister has been received by the Chief Executive Officer Prabhakara Sharma.

 

 

 
Already the local Panchayath members had seriously assaulted Mangala a Development Officer of Bidar district. Similarly, unable to bear the harassment Mandakini a Development Officer in Gulbarga district committed suicide. The harassment in one way or another taking place on the Development Officers of Hejamadi, Hirgana, Mundkur, Kokkarne, Badanidiyoor, Shirva, Hattiyangadi, Kadekar and Hebri Grama panchayath. So with this the Development Officers are not able to perform their duties properly, it is mentioned in the report.
 
Proper protection has to be provided, so that in future such incidents do not happen again. These Officers are to be promoted to B grade and should strengthen them. The culprits who caused the suicide of Mandakini are to be punished and her family should be given proper compensation, the association has urged.
 
On this occasion Panchayath Development Officers; Harikrishna Shivathaya, Anil Kumar Shetty, Prathibha, Santhosh Jogi, Supriya Prabhu, Government Workers Union District President Subrahamanya Sherigar and others were present.
 
Will conduct joint meeting to resolve the issue – CEO Prabhakara Sharma
 
Upon receiving the petition Jilla Panchayath CEO Sharma said that the Panchayath Development Officers are making serious accusations on each other. So we shall list the difficulties from both the parties and have a joint meeting to resolve this issue, he said. The Development Officers should not cross the law and should not give chances for any accusations. Even then if they still have problems they can always complain to their higher Officers who are always ready to help, he assured.