The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : GP members want Bill dropped

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Tuesday, Jul 28, 2009
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

GP members want Bill dropped

Staff Reporter

— Photo: K. Gopinathan

Strong opposition: Members of the Gram Panchayat Hakkottaya Andolana members staging a protest at Banappa Park in Bangalore on Monday to highlight their demand.

Bangalore: Several hundred gram panchayat members from across Karnataka gathered at the Banappa Park in the city on Monday demanding that the State Government drop the Karnataka Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Bill 2007 that is proposed to be reintroduced in the legislature.

Describing the Bill as “anti-democratic”, members of the Gram Panchayat Hakkottaya Andolana, which organised the demonstration, said the Bill undermined the authority of Karnataka’s gram panchayats while empowering local MLAs to decide upon the beneficiaries of rural development schemes, such as the Ashraya housing scheme.

Several legislators, including S.M. Anand, Madappa and N. Manjunath, addressed the gathering and promised to oppose the Bill. Mr. Manjunath pointed out that it had been decided at a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party on Sunday that all the members would oppose the proposed amendment and raise the matter on the floor of the House.

He also said that all 25 MLCs, representing local bodies, have decided to oppose the Bill in the House.

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