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Drinking water, roads figure at gram sabha meets

PUDUCHERRY: Issues such as lack of drinking water, proper sanitation, need for more primary health centres, issuance of house site pattas and condition of roads dominated the deliberations at the gram sabha meetings held by village panchayats on Gandhi Jayanthi Day. The gram sabhas were meeting at 98 panchayats in the Union Territory after a gap of more than three decades.

The meetings held under the supervision of executive officers and observers from the Local Administration Department in each of the 71 panchayats in the Puducherry region drew good response from the residents.

The inmates of different villages raised issues at the meetings of Pillayarkuppam, Soriankuppam and Karikkalampakkam village panchayats.

Womenfolk in Pillyarkuppam complained that they found it difficult to move out of their residences at night, as many of the streets did not have proper street-lights.

They demanded a fresh survey to find out the number of people who had to be given house site pattas. A similar plea was made by the residents of Soriankuppam.

The villagers of Soriankuppam wanted the Government to set up a primary health centre (PHC) in their locality as they solely depended on the PHC in Bahour. They also expressed concern at the stray dog menace and increasing number of snake bite cases.

Many of the locals in Karikkalampakkam, most of whom were farmers, demanded more powers to the village panchayats to check large-scale conversion of farmland for other purposes, including real estate business. Some of the women even demanded action to curb crimes committed by alcoholics.

The Local Administration Director E. Vallavan told The Hindu that the feedback from the observers was “highly positive”. Almost all panchayats held the gram sabha meetings and passed resolutions, he said.

As part of the special meeting on Gandhi Jayanthi Day, which was one of the four occasions when the gram sabhas met, a cleaning drive was organised in all 71 panchayats in the region. The other meetings are scheduled for the Independence Day, Republic Day and May Day.

Mr. Vallavan said the Department had plans to implement the total sanitation programme in all panchayats and tree plantation shortly.

According to him, a majority of the panchayats have prepared their budget for taking up development works. The Local Administration had issued guidelines for preparing the budget, including the items that could generate income and possible expenditure.

On an average, every panchayat had an assured income of Rs 5 lakh.

The main source of income was the revenue generated through property tax, water tax and professional tax. Apart from their revenue, the panchayats would get a ‘tied grant’ of Rs one lakh and an ‘untied grant’ of three to four lakh.

Mr Vallavan said the Government was taking steps to conduct social audit of the panchayats from the next year as in other States.

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