Silvester D’Souza

Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (EP)

Kundapur, Nov 11: Members have condemned the failure of the officials to reply to questions raised by them in the previous taluk panchayat meeting even after 73 days and postponed the current meeting on November 11.

Pravin Shetty said that while there are no answers to the questions, only 25 department officials have come on Monday to the meeting out of 48 departments.” Who is responsible for this?” he asked.

President Shamala S Kunder said that there is acute shortage of staff in taluk panchayat. “We are using panchayat secretaries as far as possible, but the president has to sign only after the signature of the chief executive and send documents to the respective departments. The members who were angered by this said that the gram panchayat officials should be used in case of staff scarcity. What is the meaning of officials remaining absent for meetings repeatedly. Kundapur tahsildar, mining department officials have not come. Who answers questions on sand issues? Fix a time for the meeting after asking the officials,” they said. The president postponed the meeting to November 26.

Taluk panchayat vice-president, Ram Kishan Hegde, social justice committee president, Roopa Pai, in-charge executive, Dr Nagabhooshan Udupa, Byndoor taluk panchayat executive Bharathi, Byndoor tahsildar were present.

Opposition party members urged to postpone the meeting due to lack of quorum. The president asked them to wait for another ten minutes. There were discussions on the eve taluk panchayat members remaining absent. The meeting finally began after arrival of the members and a few appointed members one by one.