Kalaburagi ZP meet ends without touching agenda

Members complain of non-cooperation of officers

July 23, 2018 05:02 pm | Updated 05:07 pm IST - KALABURAGI

Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Hephsiba Rani Korlapati (extreme right) addressing the general body meeting in Kalaburagi on Monday.

Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Hephsiba Rani Korlapati (extreme right) addressing the general body meeting in Kalaburagi on Monday.

The general body meeting of Kalaburagi Zilla Panchayat ended abruptly here on Monday as the members refused to take up the agenda for discussion, persistently arguing on “non-cooperation of officers” in the daily affairs.

As the meeting began at 11 a.m. at the ZP conference hall, Shivaraj Patil, a member, alleged that the Chief Executive Officer was shielding corrupt and lethargic officials who were allegedly irresponsive to representatives as well as common people. Soon, other members, cutting across party lines, echoed him to collectively resolve that they no longer required the services of the CEO.

When some of the members held that the developmental activities were stagnant and the funds allocated for developmental activities lapsed as the officials had failed to utilise them, Hephsiba Rani Korlapati, the CEO, dismissed the allegations by producing the fact-sheet comparing her tenure with her predecessors.

“The post of Deputy Secretary of ZP is lying vacant for a long time now. Four Taluk Panchayats have no Executive Officers. Everybody knows the staff crunch that the ZP is facing. Yet, we have tried our best by working hard to ensure that developmental activities are not hampered. As a result, the financial progress in 2017-18 was 93%, a record achievement compared to any of the previous years. As for funds released by HKRDB [Hyderabad Karnataka Regional Development Board], we have spent ₹ 45 crore in 2016-17 and ₹ 75 crore in 2017-18. In housing, the district rose from 29th place to 4th place in the State. These are not small achievements when you consider the limited workforce we have,” Ms. Korlapati said.

Dissatisfied by CEO’s claims, Sanjeevan Yakapur, Shivanand Patil, Siddaram Pyati, Santosh and other members continued to criticise the CEO for her “non-cooperation”, attempt to “protect corrupt officials” and “disrespect to elected members”.

Appeal

Rajkumar Patil Telkur, MLA of Sedam, intervened and appealed to both bureaucratic apparatus and the elected representatives to work with coordination and in harmony for the larger interests of the district.

“There could be miscommunication and misunderstanding between officials and members. Both the sides should resolve the differences at the earliest. The continued standoff would hamper the implementation of developmental works and welfare programmes. It would be an injustice to the people who elected us with great expectations as they are the ones who have to bear the brunt,” Mr. Telkur said.

His words, however, went in vain as the unconvinced members unanimously walked out, abruptly ending the meeting.

“There is no question of showing disrespect to elected members. I have a great respect for the democracy and democratically elected institutions. I am simply discharging my duties as an officer,” Ms. Korlapati told The Hindu after the meeting.

‘Gender disparity’

All the four people sitting on the dais during the meeting happened to be women – Zilla Panchayat president Suvarna Malaji, vice-president Shobha Siddu Sirasagi, CEO Ms. Korlapati and Chief Planning Officer Praveena Priya and the overwhelming majority of the members sitting off the dais were men. Though there was no necessity of reminding those on the dais of their gender, many male members made it a point, as usual, while speaking from the floor.

Ms. Korlapati told The Hindu that she had always felt bad whenever a male member gratuitously reminds her or her female colleagues of their gender. “Is it our fault to be born as women? Are they showing sympathy for womenfolk or displaying their patriarchy? It is totally uncalled for,” she said.

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