Several eyebrows were raised when a Zilla Panchayat member gave a blank cheque to ZP president Nayeema Sultana during the ZP special meeting held here on Tuesday with an “appeal” to recover in full the honorarium given to him as a member.
This was in protest against what the member — Nandeesh (JD-S) — described as a failure of the government to devolve more powers to the local body and its members. Ms. Sultana received the cheque from the member but this triggered opposition from the Congress members who faulted her on the issue and asked her to return the cheque.
They chided the president for failing to comprehend the sarcasm behind the move. Mr. Nandeesh alleged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had failed to give more powers to the ZP and its members though he had assured of giving more teeth to the local self government repeatedly.
Ravishankar, leader of the Opposition, supporting Mr. Nandish, said that the elected representatives of the ZP were cutting a sorry figure in front of people as they were unable to take up public works. Pushpa Amaranath (Congress), supported by her party members, opposed the remarks of the JD (S) representative and objected to the ZP president’s move to allow the issue to be discussed in the House.
Ms. Sultana adjourned it for about half an hour. When the members assembled, the issue came to dominate the discussions again and there was pandemonium.
ZP CEO Shivashankar pacified the members and appealed to them to discuss the annual draft plan of the ZP which was accepted with minor modifications and the same would be submitted to the government later this month.
