PDOs stage stir against assault on officer

It was said that Maladi Gram Panchayat PDO Jagadish S was assaulated by a Panchayat member Sudhakar Alva when the latter failed to settle the bills related to Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). Due to technical reason, the bill could not be settled. Enraged over the incident, the GP member had allegedly abused and assaulted the PDO.

Addressing the protesters, Gram Panchayat Employees and Secretaries Association President Prakash Shetty said criminal case must be filed against the GP member Sudhakar Alva for assaulting the PDO and the GP member should be disqualified from the membership.

“The government had created the post of PDO to introduce transparency in the Gram Panchayat administration. However, many a time, the PDOs can not discharge their duties efficiently within the framework of the law owing to the pressure from the elected representatives,” he added.

He said memorandum has already been submitted to the police urging to file criminal case against the GP member. “From the time we were appointed, we have been suppressed. Those who had come with the dreams of creating a model village by transparent administered have been shattered with the present system. If the GP member is not punished and if we fail to get justice, then all the PDOs will tender mass resignation,” Federation Secretary Harish said.

Zilla Panchayat CEO P Shivashankar has assured the Federation members that legal action will be initaited against the culprit and that he has laready held talks with the SP.