Karnataka - Dharwad   

New law on quorum, a bane for Dharwad ZP

By Our Special Correspondent

DHARWAD, NOV. 25. An amendment to the Karnataka Panchayat Raj Act, which has fixed the quorum at half the membership instead of one-third, has caused problems for the Dharwad Zilla Panchayat. The body is finding it difficulty to ensure that the required number of members is present at meetings.

The newly-elected president of the zilla panchayat, Shantavva Gonal, recently wrote a letter to the Government pleading for a relaxation of the rule to permit the bodies to hold meetings regularly. She said that the Dharwad Zilla Panchayat had 36 members: 18 elected members and 18 ex-officio members comprising two MPs, seven MLAs, four MLCs, and five presidents of taluk panchayats.

Meetings adjourned

According to the amended rules, the quorum for the meeting is 18. But it is difficult for the ex-officio members to participate in the meetings as they have other duties to perform. The problem has been magnified, as the rules pertaining to disqualification due to prolonged absence are applicable only to elected members and not to ex-officio members.

She said that at least four meetings of the zilla panchayat, held on February 27, June 10, September 23, and November 20, had to be adjourned for want of quorum. The zilla panchayat was finding it hard to get the approval of the body for the programmes that had to be implemented within a definite time period, she said.

Ms. Gonal has requested the Government to suggest a solution to the problem through a government notification.

`Revert to old system'

Ms. Gonal has suggested that the panchayats be allowed to revert to the old system of having one-third the membership as the quorum. Alternatively, she suggested that one-third quorum be allowed for the meetings adjourned for want of quorum according to the amended law.

In a separate letter written to the ex-officio members, Ms. Gonal has drawn their attention to the changes made in the quorum regulations by the Government and how the meetings of the zilla panchayat had been adjourned for want of quorum. She has requested them to attend the meetings regularly to ensure that the development programmes are implemented on time.

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New law on quorum, a bane for Dharwad ZP

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