TRAINING: District Collector D. Karthikeyan addressing presidents and vice-presidents of town panchayats in Erode on Thursday. - Photo: M. Govarthan

ERODE: District Collector D. Karthikeyan has advised town panchayats to spend judiciously. "Ensure that revenue generated through taxes and funds received from the Union and the State Governments are spent for public good, without bias or prejudice," he told the presidents and vice-presidents of the local bodies at the inauguration of a two-day training programme.

He added that if carefully spent, most of the local issues could be solved. "I believe that most of the local issues can be solved with local funds." For those panchayats faulting payments to Tamil Nadu Water And Drainage (TWAD) Board and Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, he said monitoring of power and water consumption was the only solution.

"Treat your local body as your home, where you will monitor any small increase in power and water consumption. Be as judicious and prudent as you will be in your houses."

Apart from expenditure related issues, Mr. Karthikeyan also talked about revenue mobilisation.

He asked them to make full use of revenue sources like shopping complexes and weekly shanties. "Ensure that everybody pays tax and no revenue source is either untapped or undervalued," he said.

Status

On their town panchayat status - neither a panchayat nor municipality - the Collector said the State Government had a good understanding of their neither-here-nor-there situation and would not let them down.

Funds would not be constraint, he added. The Project Officer, District Rural Development Agency, R. Rajasri, said women presidents and vice-presidents should not be puppets in the hands of their men relatives.

"Take guidance, help and support from your men folk but do not let them interfere and dictate terms. Do justice your post and act as per your conscience."

In the two-day conference, the elected members will be taught about various aspects of governance, schemes available with TWAD, TNEB etc.

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