Speaking his heart out, Mangaluru Taluk Panchayat president Mohammed Monu said that he would not mind if the government winds up taluk panchayats (TPs) as, according to him, they have become just “postmen” between the zilla and gram panchayats.
Speaking at the State Finance Commission meeting here, Mr. Monu said that a TP is given about Rs. 1.28 crore a year for various works, followed by detailed guidelines about the expenditure.
A taluk panchayat member has no respect at all, he regretted.
He was also critical about the meagre honorarium to TP heads, Rs. 4,000 and Rs. 3,000; 100 and 50 litres of diesel for president and vice-president a month. In neighbouring Kerala, his counterpart gets Rs. 15,000 and unlimited diesel, he said.
There is no rationale in fund allocation too. Someshwara Gram Panchayat with 61 members and Kinya Gram Panchayat with 11 members get Rs. 12 lakh each, he pointed out.
