MNM urges Coimbatore district administration to hold gram sabha meetings

MNM president Kamal Haasan submitted a petition in this regard to the Collector; gram sabhas have not been held since the outbreak of the pandemic

The MNM president presented the petition to the Coimbatore Collector on Monday

Makkal Needhi Maiam president Kamal Haasan on Monday, urged the Coimbatore district administration to hold the gram sabha in all village panchayatson August 15.

The gram sabha has not been conducted since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In his petition to Collector G.S. Sameeran, Mr. Haasan said as per Article 243A of the Constitution and provisions of the Tamil Nadu Panchayats Act, 1994, the administration should ensure that the village panchayats alerted residents at least a week prior to holding the gram sabha. Besides, the income-expenditure statement, bank passbook and audit report should be placed for public scrutiny. The administration must ensure that panchayats recorded as resolutions, suggestions and demands that residents placed at the gram sabha and that the panchayats displayed in public, the resolutions passed at thr gram sabha.

Mr. Haasan also appealed to the Collector to direct village panchayats to create awareness among residents to ensure that all gram sabha had the required quorum, videograph the proceedings and conduct the gram sabha on a rotational basis in all hamlets of every panchayat.

Mr. Haasan, who arrived on Sunday, is on a two-day visit to Coimbatore.