Mangaluru: Executive Trustee of Civic Group Bengaluru Kathyayini Chamaraj asked the people of Mangaluru to fight for the formation of ward committees and area sabhas in all 60 wards of Mangaluru City Corporation, on Saturday, December 15.
Addressing a gathering at the workshop on area sabhas and ward committees organised by the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) Civic Group, Kathyayini said, “Councillors in the urban local bodies were against area sabhas and ward committees as they feared losing their power. In such circumstances, development will not be possible”, she said.
“The formation of ward committees and area sabhas is aimed at inclusive development, decentralisation of power and bringing transparency in administration. Except for Bruhat Benglauru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), ward committees and area sabhas have not been formed in any of the urban local bodies in the state”, Kathyayini added.
She also informed that though ward committees and areas sabhas were formed in all the 198 wards of BBMP last year, it was not effective as meetings of the committees were not being held once in a month as stipulated under the Karnataka Municipal Corporation Act. Without meetings, the purpose of ward committees and area sabhas was defeated, she said and urged the people of Mangaluru to mount pressure to form ward committees and area sabhas.
President of Nagarika Shakti, Narendra Kumar and activist Padmanabha Ullal also spoke and stressed on the need for forming ward committees and area sabhas.
