VISIT: A.G. Kodgi, chairman, Third Karnataka State Finance Commission on panchayati raj and urban local bodies (third from right) entering the zilla panchayat office in Mangalore on Monday.

MANGALORE: The Third State Finance Commission for panchayati raj institutions and urban local bodies will endeavour to submit its report to the Governor by December 2007, its chairman A.G. Kodgi has said here on Monday.

The commission would also convene a meeting of all panchayati raj bodies in Bangalore in October and sensitise them about their rights and duties, he said.

Reports

Addressing presspersons during his official visit to the Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat, Mr. Kodgi said the commission had received the reports submitted by his predecessors, G. Thimmaiah and T.N. Narasimhamurthy respectively. Stating that he was yet to go through these reports in detail, Mr. Kodgi said there was a general feeling that governments had failed to implement the recommendations contained therein.

Mr. Kodgi said the commission, which came into being on September 6, would strive to complete the task given to it by the Governor. Mr. Kodgi hoped that the Government would accept the recommendations the commission would make and implement them.

Mr. Kodgi said the commission would visit 27 zilla panchayats and 125 taluk panchayats. It would also try and visit the remaining urban local bodies and gram panchayats to study their problems.

The commission would then come up with ways and means to strengthen the panchayati raj and urban local bodies, he said. These bodies were yet to be truly empowered financially and administratively, he added.

Inadequate data

According to him, inadequate data given by elected members to these bodies about their rights and duties, lack of adequate financial resources and bureaucratic control over their day-to-day functioning had handicapped these bodies. The convention planned in Bangalore would discuss these issues, he said.

A.M. Kunjappa, chief executive officer of the zilla panchayat welcomed Mr. Kodgi.

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