G.L. Nagaraj Urs, Member, Mysore Grahakara Parishat writes
Booth-level Citizen Committees were established in Mysore some time ago to fulfill the requirements of JNNURM grants. The intention of these committees is to decentralize power and allow citizens of a particular local area to participate in the planning for that area, in accordance with the 74th Amendment to the Constitution. In the beginning, it was thought that this was the sole purpose of these committees and so only citizens genuinely interested in serving their communities applied for membership. Applicants with the best qualifications were supposed to be appointed, but this has not happened. With increasing awareness that the committees also wield significant financial power with each committee getting Rs. 10 lakhs, vested interests have stepped into the picture and appointments to these committees have become irregular, with rules, regulations and fair play thrown to the winds. I give here one example of booth No. 122 for which I obtained information from the Assistant Commissioner of Mysore City Corporation zonal office in Krishnamurthypuram. There were only three lady applicants for the booth-level committee, but two were rejected leaving only one. But two ladies have been appointed to the committee. How was the second appointment made when she had not even applied? On what grounds were two applications rejected? Of the seven appointees to the committee, only four names appear in the voters list of booth no. 122. The other three are from booth nos. 117, 140 and 148. Why were these outsiders appointed to the committee of booth no. 122?
There is no end to such puzzling questions. Similar grave irregularities must be occurring in other booth-level committees also. Unless these appointments are made totally transparent so that only concerned and competent citizens are appointed, the committees will only squander their budget with no benefit to the general public The very purpose of the 74th Amendment will be then defeated
Booth-level Citizen Committees were established in Mysore some time ago to fulfill the requirements of JNNURM grants. The intention of these committees is to decentralize power and allow citizens of a particular local area to participate in the planning for that area, in accordance with the 74th Amendment to the Constitution. In the beginning, it was thought that this was the sole purpose of these committees and so only citizens genuinely interested in serving their communities applied for membership. Applicants with the best qualifications were supposed to be appointed, but this has not happened. With increasing awareness that the committees also wield significant financial power with each committee getting Rs. 10 lakhs, vested interests have stepped into the picture and appointments to these committees have become irregular, with rules, regulations and fair play thrown to the winds. I give here one example of booth No. 122 for which I obtained information from the Assistant Commissioner of Mysore City Corporation zonal office in Krishnamurthypuram. There were only three lady applicants for the booth-level committee, but two were rejected leaving only one. But two ladies have been appointed to the committee. How was the second appointment made when she had not even applied? On what grounds were two applications rejected? Of the seven appointees to the committee, only four names appear in the voters list of booth no. 122. The other three are from booth nos. 117, 140 and 148. Why were these outsiders appointed to the committee of booth no. 122?
There is no end to such puzzling questions. Similar grave irregularities must be occurring in other booth-level committees also. Unless these appointments are made totally transparent so that only concerned and competent citizens are appointed, the committees will only squander their budget with no benefit to the general public The very purpose of the 74th Amendment will be then defeated