The Hindu : Karnataka News : Gram panchayats seek waiver of power bills

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 04, 2007
ePaper

Karnataka

Karnataka

Gram panchayats seek waiver of power bills

Staff Correspondent

‘Intereference from Government is most common grouse ’

Third Finance Commission studying views of panchayat members
Chairman promises to submit the report within six months

DAVANGERE: A.G. Kodgi, Chairman of the Third State Finance Commission, said that the general complaint of elected representatives of local bodies such as zilla panchayats, taluk panchayats and gram panchayats in the 16 districts the commission toured already was constant interference of the Government in the administrative affairs of the local bodies.

Mr. Kodgi told presspersons here on Tuesday that the Commission would examine the matter after touring the remaining districts. It would submit recommendations to the Government suggesting steps to ensure that there was no interference in the affairs of the local bodies.

In some other places, more funds were sought for local bodies to take up development works and the Commission was not only collecting the views but making an in-depth study of what the elected representatives were saying, the Chairman said.

Advance

The electric supply companies had sent a fresh circular to all the gram panchayats to pay three months power charges as advance. When most of the gram panchayats had not paid even the bills, how could they pay three months bill in advance. Gram panchayats at many places urged the Commission to suggest waiver off arrears of electricity bills and interest charged on them.

In some places, gram panchayats complained that they were being charged commercial tariff and they appealed to the Commission to prevail upon the Government to treat them on par with farmers.

The Chairman said in six months, the Commission would submit its recommendations to the Government and he was optimistic that the Government would implement most of the recommendations of the Commission.

To a question, he said some of the recommendations of the first and second State Finance Commission had not been implemented by the Government and the Commission had written to the Government on this.

T. Thimme Gowda, member of the commission and former IAS officer, and Mahendra S. Kanti, member of the Commission and an economist, were present.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka