Protest Demanding Grassroots Democracy Restoration to Be Held in Udupi

Udupi: The office bearers of the Kundapur Taluk Panchayat Raj Okkuta and Gram Panchayat Hakkottaya Andolan have announced a joint protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office in Rajathadri on March 4. The demonstration, scheduled from 10 am to 5 pm, aims to demand the restoration of democratic functioning at the grassroots level.

Addressing reporters on Saturday, Uday Kumar Shetty, president of the Kundapur Taluk Panchayat Raj Okkuta, stated that gram panchayats are no longer functioning as self-governing institutions due to increasing interference from officials at the taluk and zilla panchayat levels. He stressed that decision-making powers should remain with the gram panchayats and not be diluted by bureaucratic control.

Shetty highlighted that under the Karnataka Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj Act, gram panchayat presidents have the authority to appoint key staff, including bill collectors and watermen. However, this power has been undermined, as gram panchayat heads are no longer permitted to make these appointments, nor are higher-level officials such as taluk panchayat executive officers (EOs) and zilla panchayat chief executive officers (CEOs) taking steps to fill vacancies. The resulting staff shortages have severely hampered the functioning of gram panchayats, he cautioned.

He further pointed out that no new staff have been recruited for vacant positions in gram panchayats since 2017, causing significant administrative difficulties. The protest will also urge the government to restore the gram panchayat’s authority to approve single layout plans for land below 25 cents, a power that was previously vested in them.

Additionally, Shetty highlighted concerns regarding the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). He noted that when a gram panchayat generates more than 10,000 person-days of work under the scheme in a year, it is entitled to appoint a dedicated staff member for MGNREGS management. However, no such appointments have been made so far, affecting the scheme’s implementation.

The press conference was also attended by the honorary president of the Okkuta, S. Janardhan Maravanthe, and other representatives.