Write Comment     |     E-Mail To a Friend     |     Facebook     |     Twitter     |     Print

MANGALURU: This village panchayat member dons multiple hats. Apart from being the GP member, he is also the vice-president, a pump operator and a waterman to boot!

Seems right out of Ripley’s Believe it or Not! But it’s true. Though the Zilla Panchayat Act states that members of village panchayats are not entitled for discharging any other function in the panchayat, Satish Poojary Naithady, member, Mundoor village panchayat is all of these above mentioned.

This obviously got RTI activist and social worker John Pinto of Kemminje village in Puttur taluk riled and he filed a complaint with the Lokayukta. The Lokayukta stepped in and after due inquiry directed ZP chief executive officer to recover the amount paid in excess to Poojary in the said duties.

According to details available, Poojary was drawing Rs 7,750 as honorarium being a member. Apart from this he was paid Rs 3,950 for being the vice-president and other payments for being a pump operator and waterman. In total he was paid Rs 1.1 lakh in excess. Pinto had submitted before Lokayukta to recover the excess from Poojary through CEO. Pinto had also alleged that Mundoor village panchayat development officer Sujatha had paid the honorarium and also paid him Rs 1.10 lakh per annum for working as pump operator and water man.

The CEO who appeared before Lokayukta Justice Y Bhaskar Rao stated the vice-president had wrongly drawn the amounts. The CEO, Thulsi Maddineni, admitted before Lokayukta that it was true that Poojary was working as pump operator over a period of 30 months which was not permitted under the relevant rules.

The CEO submitted to the Lokayukta that since this invites disqualification according to ZP Act, she would send a proposal to the government for the same. The CEO also said she would take appropriate action based on the directions of the government.

The Lokayukta has ordered the CEO to file the compliance report after receipt of government’s reply in this matter. CEO Maddineni said: The file has been put up and it will be sent to the government next week.