Opposition meet Governor on Panchayath Raj Act issue

Bangalore, July 18 (UNI) As many as 24 opposition members in the Karnataka Legisaltive Council met Karnataka Governor Mr T N Chaturvedi and appealed not to give consent to the controversial Pancharat Raj Act of 1983 amendment bill which was passed by the both the houses Karnataka Legislature.

Senior Janata Dal (United) leader and Karnataka Legislative Council member Basavaraj Bommai told newsmen that as many as 24 members of the house including Congress, JD(U) and Independent groups appealed the Governor not to give his consent to the amendment bill as it was unconstitutional.

Mr Bommai said that the amended bill was aimed to curtail the powers vested with the Panchayats on the guise that they were not functioning properly.

He said that the Governor was appraised about the consequences of the bill, which was not likely to stand the scrutiny of the court as state government had no powers to amend the provisions of the Constitution. The state government's move was against the concept of the decentralisation of power and strengthening of democratic institutions.

At present all the members of the Panchayaths in the state including Zilla Panchayaths and Taluk Panchayaths were on an agitating path against the government's move to curtail their constitutional powers, Mr Bommai said.

UNI