Karnataka - Gulbarga   

On the other side of the fence

Special Correspondent

Gulbarga Taluk Panchayat president stages dharna in front of his office

TASTING OFFICIAL APATHY?: The president and vice-president and members of Gulbarga taluk panchayat staging a dharna outside the meeting hall in Gulbarga on Friday.

GULBARGA: It was an unusual scene in Gulbarga on Friday when the president and vice-president of the Gulbarga Taluk Panchayat, along with other members, staged a dharna outside their own office on Friday. They were protesting against the alleged indifferent attitude of the executive officer and other officials towards the problems of the people.

Soon after the general body meeting of the taluk panchayat got under way, the president of the panchayat Vijayakumar B. Biradar and vice-president Hanumanthappa moved a resolution to boycott the meeting indefinitely till the government transferred the officials of the panchayat who were not cooperating with the elected representatives, and trooped outto stage a dharna outside the taluk panchayat office.

The elected representatives alleged that after the new executive officer took charge, elected representatives were being neglected and were not consulted on important issues.

Mr. Biradar said Friday's meeting was convened to finalise the action plan for the proposals of employment-oriented works proposed to be taken up under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS). When the issue came up for discussion, the technical staff, including junior engineers and other officials of the department concerned, were not present at the meeting.

He pointed out that the zilla panchayat had set a deadline of May-end for finalising the action plan of the works to be taken up under the NREGS in Gulbarga taluk. "Without the presence of the technical staff and officials of the departments concerned, how can the action plan be finalized?" Mr Biradar asked. At this point, the members decided to boycott the general body meeting indefinitely till the officials concerned, who were absent, were punished and transferred.

Later, Deputy Secretary II of the zilla panchayat A.M. Goni met the elected representatives and persuaded them to end the agitation. He directed the executive officer to convene another general body meeting immediately to finalise the action plan and ensure the presence of the officials concerned.

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