Corporators air grievances regarding ward panel meetings

Mangaluru: Though ward committees are set up as per the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (Amendment) Act, to make the administration more transparent, corporators of the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) expressed their dissatisfaction over their powers being questioned, and alleged that they have been humiliated during the monthly ward committee meetings.
Corporators from the BJP and Congress, demanded that a circular should be issued to all ward committee members and the public, regarding the functioning of ward committees. Even non-members take corporators to task during ward committee meetings, though they have no rights to participate in it, they said. Commissioner Akshy Sridhar said that a circular in this regard will be issued soon.
At a council meeting of the MCC, chaired by mayor Premanand Shetty on Thursday, BJP corporator Diwakar raised the issue. Corporator, Jagadish Shetty, said, “The ward committee meetings are being misused by its members in many wards. Corporators are censured during ward committee meetings, and they are blatantly disregarded. Ward committees should correct the mistakes if any, with regard to the city’s development works, apolitically. However, there are efforts to politicise the ward committee meetings. We need to make ward committees more effective by educating people on roles,” he said. Nominated corporator Radhakrishna said, “Ward committees are essential, and it is a right of citizens. However, it should not snatch away the rights of those who are elected democratically.”
Congress corporator Bhaskar Moily said a meeting should be convened to discuss the issue. Commissioner Akshy Sridhar said, “Ward committees cannot force corporators and snatch their rights. Non-members can view the ward committee meeting proceedings as visitors, but they have no rights to participate. The decision of a corporator, who is the chairperson of a ward committee, is final during ward committee meetings.”