Panchayat presidents stage march in Chennai, demand protection of independence of Panchayati Raj system
The Hindu
Panchayat heads in Chennai protest march to Secretariat, demanding independence of Panchayati Raj system from State/Central interference. Placards raised against MGNERGA & AGAMT. Demand salaries similar to Chennai Corporation councillors.
A large number of elected members, heads of the local bodies of several village panchayats, participated in a protest march in Chennai on Thursday.
The panchayat heads, wearing black, staged their protest march from the Rajarathinam stadium in Egmore to the Secretariat, where a representation was handed over the government. The protesters wanted the independence of the Panchayati Raj system to be protected against the interference of the State and Central governments.
The march, conducted by the Tamizhnadu Ooratchi Mandra Thalaivargal Kootamaippu, saw panchayat presidents participating from several districts of the State.
M. Sabarigirivasan, president of the Sulakal village panchayat in Coimbatore district, said the State government has completely taken over the finances of the village panchayats by centralising the funds, and so, elected members do not have any powers to recommend or execute any civic infrastructure work. This went against the Panchayati Raj system, he said.
The members, holding placards, also raised slogans against government interference in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNERGA) scheme and the Anaithu Grama Anna Marumalarchi Thittam (AGAMT).
The protesting members also wanted salaries to be paid to them similar the to salaries paid to councillors of the Chennai Corporation.
The Opposition Congress demanded that the government open the Gandhi Vatika Museum, depicting Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy and freedom struggle, built at a cost of ₹85 crore in Jaipur’s Central Park last year, during the Congress-led regime in Rajasthan. The museum has not been opened to the public, reportedly because of the administration’s engagements with the State Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
Almaya Munnettam (Lay People to the Fore), group in the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese of the Syro-Malabar Church opposed to the synod-recommended Mass, rejected a circular issued by Major Archbishop Raphael Thattil and apostolic administrator Bosco Puthur on June 9 to implement the unified Mass in the archdiocese from July 3.