Karnataka - Mangalore   

They have a voice of their own

By M. Raghuram

MANGALORE, MAY 30. Leaders of the Congress district unit had criticised the previous party Government in the State at least two times. The first instance was the resolution passed by the party-ruled Mangalore City Corporation against the implementation of the Self-Assessment Scheme for property tax. The Mayor, M. Shashidhar Hegde, got the resolution passed with the help of his party colleagues and the Bharatiya Janata Party members in the Council. The Congress members knew well that this went against the Government's decision to impose the scheme throughout the State. They were able to stall the implementation of the scheme here for the past two years.

The party sources say that the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President, B. Janardhana Poojary, had commended the corporators for their action. The latest such instance has been sparked by the rice racket. The District Congress Committee spokesperson and zilla panchayat member, B. Sadananda Poonja, said a few days ago that the party was being targeted in the rice scam unnecessarily, but he was in favour of an impartial investigation.

But the zilla panchayat, which does not have even a member from parties other than the Congress, passed a resolution on Saturday stating that an inquiry should be taken up.

This could lead to a clash between some leaders in the Congress State unit and the panchayat members.

B. Nagaraja Shetty, who has won the Bantwal Assembly seat, says the Congress in the district is its own enemy and this has minimised the role of the Opposition. The Krishna Government had ordered the Corps of Detectives inquiry into the scam.

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