Belgaum: The observation that nobody cares for rules in the Belgaum Zilla Panchayat could be true if the debate at the first meeting of the new panchayat here on Monday is any indication.

It was on the issue of electing members to various standing committees.

Support

Except Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Council Sachidanand Khot, others supported the former Minister Prakash B. Hukkeri's argument that members from all parties should be selected on the basis of consensus instead of holding elections. In such case, legislators from the district can be consulted.

Pleas

But Mr. Khot, who was against adopting such a procedure not permitted by law, gave in to the repeated pleas of Mr. Hukkeri and other MLAs.

The meeting was presided over by zilla panchayat President Fakeerappa D. Gorbal. Vice-President Pankaj Patil, Chief Executive Officer M.E. Shivalingamurthy, and Ramesh L. Kudachi, Digamber Patil, Vishwanath Mamne, and Shashikant Naik, MLAs, were present.

When the matter came up, the members entrusted the responsibility of forming committees to the president.

Mr. Gorbal said that members from all parties, including women, will be nominated to the committees.

At this juncture, Mr. Khot sought to know whether the Karnataka Panchayat Raj Act empowers the president to form committees by selecting members to them.

Similar situation

He referred to a similar situation faced by the members of the zilla panchayat a few years ago when a six-member committee, including three legislators, was set up to form various committees.

But a member had obtained a stay order against such a move. Subsequently, the committees were formed after holding elections, he said.

Responding to a question, the Chief Executive Officer said the preceding general body framed regulations regarding elections to the committees according to Rule 188 of the Act in April last and forwarded them to the Government for approval.

However, the Government is yet to approve them, the Chief Executive Officer said.

Lengthy process

Mr. Hukkeri argued that the president of the zilla panchayat should go ahead with the formation of committees, setting aside the rules. Conducting elections is a lengthy process.

Hence, the president should go ahead with the formation of committees, he said.

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