The issue of purchasing track suits for sports students of the taluk not only swallowed the major part of the Mangalore Taluk Panchayat general meeting held on Tuesday, but also made the members to boycott the meet twice.

It is for the second time the track suit issue diverted the track of the TP meeting. However, the members expressed their anger by boycotting the meet this time.

As soon as the meeting commenced in the morning held under the presidentship of TP chief Shriyala G Hegde, members including Prithwiraj R K, Yashwanth Alva and Gokuldas Shetty raised the issue of Zilla Panchayat’s disapproval to purchase track suits under the 12th Finance Commission grant.

The Mangalore TP had envisaged a new plan of donating track suits to merited sports students of the taluk, and submitted a proposal to the DK ZP during the presidentship of Gokuldas Shetty asking the ZP to permit to use a part of the 12th Finance Commission’s fund for this purpose. A fresh proposal had also been submitted when the earlier one did not receive any reply. However, the second one was also of no use.

This enraged the TP members during Tuesday’s meeting, who urged for a clear statement from the Zilla Panchayat in this regard. Demanding for the arrival of the in-charge officer representing the ZP, one of the member Yashwanth Alva boycott the meeting first, while others followed him irrespective of parties.

The members complained that the TP is not receiving any respect in connection with the implementation of the schemes. “There is no proper identity at all for the TP members. They have no power. Then why should there be an institution called TP?” they rued.

ZP clarifies

DK ZP Deputy Secretary (DS) P Shivashankar arrived in the venue after some time on the intimation by the Taluk Panchayat Executive Officer R Kantharaju. Though he said he was not the proper person to reveal the decision of the Zilla Panchayat regarding the track suits, the members urged that he should tell the reasons behind the ZP’s disapproval.

Mr Shivashankar said the Zilla Panchayat  had resolved that the TP could not purchase any sports material by using the fund of the 12th Finance Commission.

The members also said proper actions should be taken against the officials who initiated the point in the Zilla Panchayat  general meeting. Unsatisfied by the answer of the DS, the members again boycotted the meeting.

Chief Planning Officer (CPO) Takat Rao who also took part in the meeting later, made it clear that 12th Finance Commission does not allow the TP to purchase track suits.

The members later expressed their anger towards the officials who remained absent from the meetings.