In the first meeting after being elected, members of the Bidar Zilla Panchayat passed a resolution seeking more powers from the State government to address issues related to rural local governance.
The members decided to send a request to the State government to let the ZP take up works like drilling borewells and to give full powers to ZP members to propose such works anywhere in their constituency.
They also sought more financial powers to fund such works.
It started when member Lakshmanrao Bulla said that he wanted to drill borewells in his area. However, officials said that members could not propose new works, but could only repair existing facilities. Only MLAs could propose new works, officials informed the meeting.
ZP Chief Executive Officer Pavan Kumar Malpati said members could only propose works during preparation of the annual action plan. Once the plan is approved, members could not add or delete works from the list.
They could only pass a resolution and forward it to the government, he said. Most members opposed to this.
Mr. Bulla asked why drinking water was listed in the ZP if the members had no power to propose new works. Firoz Khan, Shakuntala Beldale, Annarao Rathod and other members supported him. Anil Gundappa Biradar said the ZP members should be told about their powers before the meeting could continue.
He also said ZP members should be invited to Gram Sabhas. Gundu Reddy, another member, wondered how water supply works could be taken up in some taluks, where there was political enmity between the MLA and ZP members concerned.
Mr. Bulla said he wanted powers to drill five new borewells in each member’s constituency. S.Ramakrisna, project director, water supply and sanitation, said ZP members across the State were demanding inclusion in task forces.
This is being discussed since 2004, but the State government is yet to take a decision on including ZP presidents or members in these task forces, he said.
Bharatbai Mallinath Sherikar, president, said such demands could be fulfilled only if the State government permitted. Vice-president Prakash Patil, said the house could pass a resolution that the concerned members be included in the drinking water task force. Most members supported the idea.
When the meeting began, members asked all the officials to introduce themselves. Member Firoz Khan, wanted to know why Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana officials were not present in the meeting. Members Afroz Khan, and Vijay Kumar Gadgi supported him.
Kishor Kumar Dube, deputy secretary, said that PMGSY was a project whose officials were not directly under the purview of ZP and hence not invited.
