BENGALURU: With the term of elected bodies of 5,746 of the 5,944 gram panchayats ending, the state government has appointed administrators to them.
However, due to a severe staff crunch, one administrator is handling two to three gram panchayats. And in the absence of elected members and some panchayats having no panchayat development officers (PDOs), redressal of people’s grievances has taken a severe beating.
Moreover, implementation of schemes such as VB–G RAM G or MGNREGA is likely to be affected. Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge revealed this while replying to an unstarred question by BJP MLA Harish Poonja. As per data, in some districts, one administrator has been appointed to manage two to three gram panchayats.
As many as 188 gram panchayats are without administrators because of the shortage of officials. Kharge said these officials have to attend to complaints such as drinking water shortage during summer, attacks by wild animals, delay in garbage disposal, etc. He said that he wrote to all deputy commissioners in January to appoint administrators to gram panchayats whose term is nearing completion.
MLA Nikhil Umesh Katti also drew the attention of the government to 998 vacant posts of PDO. BJP MLC DS Arun Kumar, who has been elected from a local authorities’ constituency, told the TNIE that the government knew very well that the term of gram panchayats will end soon. “I had sent several letters to the government in this regard. Work on delimitation of wards has to be done.
Then, the officials have to work on reservation of wards for members from respective categories. Also, in the last five years, many gram panchayats have been upgraded or have been added to urban local bodies. New panchayats have to be carved. All these will take at least four to five months,’’ he said. Sources in the RDPR Department said the gram panchayats have been told to issue e-khata for property owners. But with no senior officials, it will be difficult to manage this work.
“From April 1, the Union government’s VB–G RAM G will come into force instead of MNREGA. MNREGA cards will not be applicable for VB–G RAM G benefits. The state government moved a resolution in the House last month rejecting VB–G RAM G. This confusion will lead to chaos in gram panchayats,” sources said.