Karnataka - Mangalore   

Panchayati raj bodies have huge power dues: Shetty

Staff Correspondent

The electricity arrears run into crores of rupees, says Minister for Fisheries

ALL ATTENTION: B. Nagaraj Shetty, Minister for Fisheries, and Mamatha D.S. Gatti, president, Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat, at a seminar on `Local administration and reservation' in Mangalore on Thursday. — Photo: R. Eswarraj

MANGALORE: Panchayati raj bodies in Dakshina Kannada were facing shortage of funds and many of them were not able to clear electricity bills, said B. Nagaraj Shetty, Minister for Fisheries and Muzrai, here on Thursday.

Addressing members of panchayati raj bodies after inaugurating a seminar on "Local administration and reservation," he said the power dues of panchayati raj bodies run into crores of rupees.

Gram panchayats, taluk panchayats, the zilla panchayat and even the Mangalore City Corporation owed money to the Government.

Mr. Shetty, who is the district in-charge Minister, said the reservation in panchayat raj bodies had enabled people from the weaker sections of society to secure power.

But he had observed that in some gram panchayats though representatives of weaker sections were elected presidents and vice-presidents people from the upper castes were calling the shots.

Infrastructure

The Minister said that many villages suffered from lack of infrastructure.

A good many villages did not have roads, toilet facilities and there was no proper supply of drinking water.

Though the Rajiv Gandhi Drinking Water Project was launched in the district as a pilot project three years ago many villages did not have proper drinking water facilities.

Mr. Shetty said that people expected the elected representatives to work hard.

They looked for proper implementation of development works.

He called upon elected members of panchayati raj bodies to keep politics away after coming to power.

`No politics'

"The elected representatives should not indulge in silly politics," he said.

Mamatha D.S. Gatti, president, Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat, presided. P. Dharanendra Kumar, vice-president of the zilla panchayat, spoke.

Vishwanath, professor, Department of Economics, Mangalore University, and Shirthady William Pinto, advocate, spoke on reservation and local administration, respectively.

Chief executive officer A.M. Kunjappa was present.

Presidents, vice-presidents and members of the zilla panchayat and taluk panchayats, and presidents and vice-presidents of gram panchayats participated in the seminar.

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