Sullia GP on way to 'model Gram Panchayat'

Markanja Gram Panchayat in Sullia taluk which was in news for wrong reasons last year, is once again back in news. However, this time it is for a good cause.

The villagers under the banner of Brashtachara Virodhi Janajagruthi Samithi in association with the Markanja Gram Panchayat have jointly taken up development work in its two wards using the available funds under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment
Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and have pledged to increase green cover in the village.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Gram Panchayat President Harinakshi said: “We wanted to change the image of the gram panchayat from being one of the most corrupt gram panchayat to a model gram panchayat by implementing various government schemes effectively.” 

She said: “The work on desilting the tank, digging wells, levelling land and digging percolation ponds in forest and revenue land will also be taken up.”

Brashtachara Virodhi Janajagruthi Samithi convenor K Shankaranarayana Shastri said:
“We formed committee to fight against rampant corruption that was taking place in the Gram Panchayat a year ago.

Using RTI, we collected all the information on large scale of misappropriation which had taken place in the Gram Panchayat in the name of development work. Later, we motivated the villagers to raise their voice against misappropriation which finally made the distrtict administration to probe into the incident.

Initially, the probe did not yield any result. However, later, with our efforts, we were able to send the Gram Panchayat President and Secretary behind the bars.”

This is the beginning of fight against corruption. Now, we have decided to make use of the available funds and grow greenery in two wards of the Gram Panchayat and take up public work.

He said “about 150 to 200 labourers have taken up the work on laying drains beside the road for the last one week. Drains are laid at Kotradka-Gomar, Mithadka, Kudkuli-Kaduthota, Kudkuli-Kattekodi, Baanur-Hosalike, Kayara, Balkodi, Pura, Minungooru, Miyoni and Kayarkodi.

The work on growing greenery especially in government schools, anganwadi centres, on available government land will be taken up once the horticulture department comes up with an estimate. The government high school in Markanja has nine acre land, which remained unutilised all these years.

“We have decided to level the land and plant fruit bearing saplings like mango, guava, chikkoo, coconut and so on in the available land. At the same time, the gram panchayat also has two acre land and a veterinary hospital has 75 cents land. All these spacious land will be converted into a green patch by growing fruit bearing trees using the funds available under MGNREGS.”

He said there are 600 job card holders in the Gram Panchayat limits. All these job card
holders have been divided into group of 50 members under the guidance of Udyoga Mithra. We want to take up integrated development of the gram panchayat using the government schemes.” The work on planting fruit bearing saplings on either side of the road will also be taken up.

The Ombudsaman has already organised a training on MGNREGS to the Gram Panchayat members and Udyoga Mithra in the Gram Panchayat recently.

MGNREGS Ombudsman Sheena Shetty said: “We had organised mass motivation programme to create awareness on MGNREGS among the villagers.

The villagers have taken up more of public work in the village,” he added.