Junior Kharge’s Name Excluded from Panchayat Invitation Card

Mangaluru: The BJP MLA of Moodabidri, Umanath Kotian has taken a stand against the recent suspension of two panchayath officials in Dakshina Kannada. He demanded Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to take action against Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada, Mullai Muhilan and to revoke the suspension of the Executive Officer (EO) and Panchayat Development Officer (PDO).

The suspension of these officials came after they allegedly omitted Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Minister Priyank Kharge's name from the invitation card for the inauguration of the Iruvail Gram Panchayat building.

The matter came to light during a Karnataka Development Programme meeting chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Mangaluru on Tuesday. In response to MLA Kotian's demands, the Chief Minister assured him that the matter would be thoroughly investigated.

The Dakshina Kannada district administration on Monday, suspended Moodabidri taluk panchayat Executive Officer Dayavathi and Iruvail Panchayat Development Officer Kanthappa for their alleged failure to follow protocol. Subsequently, the inauguration event was postponed by the Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat CEO.

MLA Kotian contends that the suspended EO and PDO were simply acting on the orders of the Deputy Commissioner. He argues that if any action is to be taken, it should be directed towards the DC rather than the other officials.

Furthermore, the MLA highlighted that there is no provision in the state guidelines mandating the invitation of the RDPR minister to gram panchayat-related events. He pointed out that there are a total of 5950 gram panchayats in the state, and nowhere does it mention the necessity of the RDPR minister's presence for such inaugurations.

The scheduled inauguration, originally planned for Monday, had to be postponed three days before the event amid the exclusion of the RDPR minister's name from the invitation card.

As the situation unfolds, the demand for action against the Deputy Commissioner and the call to reinstate the suspended officials may escalate. The government's response to these demands and the outcome of the investigation will likely be closely monitored by all stakeholders involved.