BANGALORE: The Government has set up vigilance committees headed by MLAs to supervise the implementation of development programmes at the taluk level.

Political Secretary to the Chief Minister N.S. Boseraju told presspersons here on Thursday that the committees will have the power to review development programmes and take action if any laxity is found. They have been modelled after the vigilance committees headed by MPs.

However, the powers given to gram panchayats to identify beneficiaries under the Ashraya housing scheme will not be withdrawn, he said. Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh gave an assurance in the last session of the legislature that the Government would constitute vigilance committees, he said.

The MLA whose constituency covers the major portion of a taluk will be the chairman and other MLAs whose constituencies too are part of the taluk will be co-chairmen of the committees.

MLCs from the taluk, the president and the vice-president of the taluk panchayat, members of the zilla panchayat, the tahsildar, the taluk panchayat executive officer and taluk-level officials will be members of the committee, Mr. Boseraju said.

The Government has also appointed MLAs to the Aradhana committees and committees for regularisation of encroachments.

Appointments to all boards and corporations will be completed before the month-end, he said.

The presidents of Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs) have been elected. Congress candidates have been elected presidents of 61 APMCs, Janata Dal (Secular) - 33, BJP - 6, Janata Dal (U) - 2, Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti - 2, Kannada Nadu Paksha - one, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha - one and others two, Mr. Boseraju said.

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