More powers for Taluk Panchayats: Shettar in Udupi
Media source
Udupi, 22 August 2010: There is no proposal before the government to abolish the Taluk Panchayath set up. Instead the government has decided in principal to strengthen Taluk Panchayaths with more powers and grants, said Rural Development and Panchayath Raj Minister Jagadish Shettar.
He was speaking after inaugurating ‘Samarthya Saudha’ and laying foundation stone for the Sthree Shakthi Soudha, a facility for the development of SHGs, at the premises of Taluk Panchayath here on Saturday.
“There are demands from different corners of the state to abolish taluk panchayath system. But as the three tiers Panchayath Raj System had been a constitutional provision they can not alter it’’, he said.
Minister also proposed to give a grant of Rs 6 lakhs to Rs 12 lakhs this year, to each Grama Panchayath, depending on the population of the village. Minister also inaugurated the Convention of Gram Panchayath Secretaries, Panchayath Development Officers (PDOs) and its employees’ at Rajangana of Srikrishna Temple.
He assured to consider the demand of Grama Panchayath employees to consider them as government employees on a condition that they would help the government in increasing the revenue by achieving a 90 per cent of tax collection. “This has been proved possible in Udupi, DK and North Canara districts; why not in other parts of the state?”, Minister questioned.
Udupi MLA K Raghupathi Bhat presided over the programme. District Incharge Minister Dr VS Acharya, MP Sadananda gowda, ZP President Gladis Almeida and others were present.