SHIMOGA: Shimoga Zilla Panchayat president Attigunda Chandrasekhar on Wednesday announced the suspension of Shikaripur Taluka Panchayat Executive Officer Rajappa and Taluk Social Welfare Officer Channeshappa for allegedly violating the protocol.

Mr. Chandrasekhar announced it at the meeting of the zilla panchayat following a complaint by Shikaripur Taluk Panchayat president Nirmalabai that there is a breach of her privilege by the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, B.S. Yediyurappa (who represents the Shikaripur constituency), and Mr. Channeshappa.

She said even she was holding a meeting to select students for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes prematric hostel, Mr. Yediyurappa and Mr. Channeshappa held a parallel meeting and selected the students.

J. Phakeerappa, who took serious note of the incident, demanded that the officials concerned be kept under suspension and that Mr. Yediyurappa apologise for the incident.

Eesuru Basavaraj said the incident would not have occurred if strict action was taken against Mr. Yediyurappa when he called a conference in Shikaripur recently without the involvement of the local elected representatives. He said the officials in Shikaripur taluk had developed a tendency to snub elected representatives. This would not have been possible without the support of Mr. Yediyurappa, he said.

M.B. Bhanu Prakash, BJP Floor Leader in the zilla panchayat, said the meeting should not think in terms of punishing any official without knowing details about the incident.

Zilla panchayat Chief Executive Officer Shivakumar who explained the incident on the basis of the information furnished to him said the President had no powers to order suspension of "A" grade officials. Most of the members demanded that the official be kept under suspension.

The members of the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party admonished Mr. Basavaraj when he alleged that the incident was an act of political vendetta and asked him to withdraw his remark. B

ut despite the clarification given by the Chief Executive Officer the President gave the ruling that that he had kept Mr. Rajappa and Mr. Channeshappa under suspension.

Mr. Bhanu Prakash questioned the decision that was taken even after the Chair was told that it did not have powers to do so. The meeting directed the officials concerned to prepare a plan to seek the sufficient grant from the Government to tackle the worsening water problem in the district.

Shimoga MLA K.S. Eshwarappa said he will raise the matter in the Legislative Assembly if he is given relevant information about the situation.

Joint Director of Agriculture Manjappa said the cultivable area under the kharif crop in the district is likely to be reduced following the delayed monsoon and lack of rains. Sowing operations have been possible only in 30 per cent of the area earmarked for kharif crops so far. He said there is no shortage of seeds. The Public Instruction Department officials told the meeting that 98 per cent progress had been achieved in the distribution of uniforms to children in government schools.

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