Brownie points only for babus? We’ll go to villages too: MLAs

BENGALURU: Elected representatives, who may not have made frequent visits to villages to understand the problems of locals and resolve them, now are more than eager to do so. The reason? They are worried that officials are walking away with all the credit for resolving villagers’ problems, leaving them with nothing!

On Tuesday, Congress and JDS MLAs demanded that the State Government include them in the “Graama Vaastavya” programme, in which district Deputy Commissioners and other officials spend 24 hours in a village hearing out people and trying to solve their problems. 

Taking up the issue in the Assembly, the MLAs told Revenue Minister R Ashoka that it is a good initiative, but the Deputy Commissioners are getting all the credit and that elected representatives will be ignored by villagers.The ‘Graama Vaastavya’ programme was launched across the state on February 20 with the aim of taking the administration to the villages. Revenue Minister Ashok himself stayed in a village in Doddaballapur taluk of Bengaluru Rural district some weeks ago.  

What is left for us to do, asks Priyank

Arasikere Assembly constituency MLA from JDS, Shivalingegowda, wanted to know why only DCs and officials were required to spend the entire day and night in villages. “In my constituency, people are talking about when the DCs will visit and stay over. They even question where the MLA they voted for is,’’ he rued. “Even I want to stay in villages and spend the night,’’ he insisted. At this, JDS MLAs in the House got up and demanded Ashok to issue an order and include MLAs in the programme. Congress MLA Priyank Kharge said, “The DCs are resolving local issues and even issuing certificates.

What is left for us to do?’’ Varuna constituency MLA from Congress, Dr Yathindra Siddaramaiah, too demanded that they be included in the initiative. Replying to the House, Ashok pointed out that under the initiative, the DCs, tahsildars and other officials have to eat at anganwadi centres and stay at Backward Class hostels. Issues related to pahani, khata, widow pension, removal of encroachments and others are to be resolved within 24 hours.

“The purpose of this is to give a free hand to officials. People’s work has to be done without political intervention,’’ he said. A senior minister in Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa’s Cabinet said the initiative has become so popular that MLAs are feeling insecure. “If elected representatives are involved, the whole exercise will become a political event. The DCs and other officials will have to work as per their direction and the very purpose will be defeated,’’ he said.