Mounesh Vishwakarma
Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal (EP)

Bantwal, June 19: Gram panchayat administration which has already opposed inclusion of Sajipa Nadu grama panchayat in the soon to be formed Ullal taluk has also opposed inclusion of Pudu, Meramajalu, Kodman and Thumbe villages in it.

The delegation which included Pudu Zilla Panchayat member Ravindra Kambali met Karnataka Revenue minister R V Deshpande who had arrived Dakshina Kannada district on Tuesday. Kambli expressed his opposition for inclusion of villages during the formation of Ullal taluk.

The local MLA who was present, has submitted a copy of the objection letter to district-in- charge minister U T Khader. The delegations included Meramajalu gram panchayat president Sathish Naika, vice president Jayashree, Pudu gram panchayat member Manoj Acharya Nanya, APMC member Vittal Salian, Dinesh Shetty Kottinja, local elite Dinesh Shetty Kottinja, Pravin Shetty, Ashraf Farangipete, Suresh Shetty Barke, Subrahmanya Rao and Ashraf Maripalla.

The letter states that Pudu, Meramajalu, Kodman, Thumbe villages and nearby areas have been an indivisible part of B C Road, the centre of Bantwal taluk. The revenue transactions and such other work of villagers relating to government offices are being held in B C Road, nearby. Villagers will have to inevitably cross Netravati river and travel more than 35 kilometers if the villages are included during the formation of new taluk. The villages are centrally located to Bantwal geographically and is convenient for citizens.

If Bantwal taluk’s Meramajalu, Kodman and Tumbe villages are bifurcated because of requirement of sufficient population for new taluk, people will be put to hardship. Further steps will have to be taken depending on the demands of people. None of the villagers have put forth their demands for the inclusion. Therefore, there is opposition to include the said villages during creation of new Ullal taluk and the delegation has requested to leave these villages out during creation of new taluk.

It may be recalled that Sajipanadu villagers had met in the leadership of panchayat president Nasir and expressed their opposition earlier to include Sajipanadu grama panchayat in the new taluk.