The council of Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat in its meeting on Monday decided to reconstitute the House panel formed to probe into the alleged “irregularities” in the setting up and commissioning of pure drinking water units by Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Ltd (KRIDL) in the district.
The decision was taken after the members opposed the constitution of a 12-member panel in a “hurry” with the president of the panchayat as chairperson of the panel and Executive Engineer of the KRIDL as the member secretary.
The council had decided to constitute the panel in its last meeting two months ago.
The members questioned how the Executive Engineer of the KRIDL could be the member secretary when the charges are against the KRIDL itself. They wanted to know if the president of the zilla panchayat headed the panel, whom should the committee submit the report to.
“It is a mockery. Officials do not want the truth to come out,” said senior member M.S. Mohammed.
They said that some of the members of the committee have been informed about making them members just two days ago. They were also asked to come for an inspection without conducting any preliminary meeting on the scope of the committee, its objective and deadline for submitting the report. Instead of the president of the panchayat a senior member of the House should head the panel and the findings should be submitted to the president of the panchayat.
The Chief Executive Officer of Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat M.R. Ravi agreed that there were lapses in the constitution of the committee. He said that the committee constituted was not complete. The member secretary would be changed by appointing a senior official of the zilla panchayat and a senior member of the council could head the panel. The committee would be reconstituted, he said.