The Sarvodaya Karnataka Party headed by MLA K.S. Puttannaiah, Left parties, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, and Dalit Sangharsha Samiti led by Mavalli Shankar will face the gram panchayat election jointly. They said the decentralisation of power is yet to be materialised. Speaking at a joint press conference on Monday, CPI (M) general secretary and former MLA G.V. Srirama Reddy said that gram panchayats should be empowered to have its own projects and implement it. “The authority over forest and mineral resources, apart from power on primary education, primary health and so on should be with the village panchayats,” he said. — Staff Reporter