BJP legislators accuse Dakshina Kannada administration of interfering in the rights of MLAs; threaten dharna on DC office premises on August 14

MANGALURU Accusing the Dakshina Kannada district administration of interfering in the rights of MLAs, BJP legislators threatened on Thursday, August 10, that they will sit on a dharna in front of the offices of the Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner and the Dakshina Kannada district in-charge Minister on August 14 if the district administration did not retract and revoke the suspension of two officials of Moodbidri taluk who were suspended recently in connection with the protocol matter.

Accusing the Dakshina Kannada district administration of interfering in the rights of MLAs, BJP legislators threatened on Thursday, August 10, that they will sit on a dharna in front of the offices of the Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner and the Dakshina Kannada district in-charge Minister on August 14 if the district administration did not revoke the suspension of two officials of Moodbidri taluk who were suspended recently in connection with the protocol matter.

Addressing a joint press conference, the BJP MLAs of Dakshina Kannada — A. Umanath Kotian, U. Rajesh Naik, Y. Bharat Shetty, D. Vedavyasa Kamath — and the MLCs — Kota Srinivas Poojary and Pratapsimha Nayak — said there were two instances of breach of privilege of MLAs in the district.

Mr. Naik, Bantwal MLA, said a ‘Swachha Sankeerna’ unit was to be inaugurated at Irvattur Grama Panchayat under Bantwal Assembly constituency on August 4. The gram panchayat had printed the invitation and Mr. Naik was to preside over the programme. But the Panchayat Development Officer (PDO) cancelled the programme on August 3 without intimating the MLA, citing the violation of protocol in the invitation as the reason. When asked about it, the PDO informed that the programme was postponed at the insistence of higher officials. But Mr. Naik said the invitation had the names of all concerned as per the taluk-level protocol. Thus there was breach of privilege of the MLA, he said.

Mr. Kotian, Moodbidri MLA, said that Rajiv Gandhi Seva Kendra at Iruvail Gram Panchayat and the Iruvail Gram Panchayat office were to be inaugurated in the Moodbidri Assembly constituency on July 31 at a function to be presided over by him. But it was cancelled under the “guise that there was a violation of protocol” in the invitation printed. Later, he learnt that some people had demanded that the name of Priyank Kharge, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj should have been printed in it.

“Is it possible for the RDPR Minister to attend all the programmes of 5,950 gram panchayats spread over the State?” Mr. Kotian asked.

The Chief Executive Officer of the zilla panchayat on July 29 suspended Dayavathi, executive officer (EO) of the Moodbidri Taluk Panchayat, and the Deputy Secretary of the zilla panchayat suspended on the same day Srikanthappa, secretary of Iruvail Gram Panchayat who was in-charge PDO of the panchayat, in connection with the “violation of protocol”.

Mr. Kotian said the invitation cards of both the programmes (Irvattur and Iruvail) had been printed as per the protocol given by the office of the Deputy Commissioner. If there was a violation, the Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada should be held responsible and suspended and not the EO and the PDO.