Convene gram sabha, HC tells Salem collector
Madras HC directs Salem collector to convene gram sabha meeting for electing the president.
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2013-11-17 10:03 GMT
Chennai: The Madras high court has directed the Salem collector to convene a gram sabha meeting for the purpose of electing the president and other office-bearers of the Koonandiyur integrated watershed management programme (KIWMP) committee and thereafter send the list of elected persons to the district watershed development agency (DWDA) for approval and release of funds for implementing the scheme, the integrated watershed management programme in Koonandiyur village panchayat.
Justice K.K. Sasidharan gave the direction while disposing of a petition from Ku Pa Govindan of Salem district. According to the petitioner, the state government, pursuant to the policy decision of the Union government, launched a scheme under the name of ‘integrated watershed management programme’.
The chief executive officer of the TN watershed development agency called upon district project officers to create integrated watershed management committees. The district registrar registered the KIWMP committee pursuant to the resolution passed by the panchayat. The committee was duly elected and constituted by the gram sabha at its meeting on January 26, 2012. The petitioner was elected president of the committee.
When he approached the DWDA for approval and to grant funds for implementation of the scheme, it refused to approve the committee since A. Asaithambi had made a claim that he was elected president of the committee. Hence, he filed the present petition.
The judge said it was not possible for DWDA to recognise the committee unless there were materials before him to show that the gram sabha was convened with notice to all and a decision taken to appoint the petitioner as president of the committee.
Since the petitioner and Asaithambi claimed that they were elected president of the committee, necessarily the issue requires consideration by the gram sabha.
The Salem collector was directed to convene the meeting of the gram sabha. The officer nominated by the collector should take part in the meeting, which should be convened and conducted in accordance with chapter II of the TN panchayat Act.
The officer, after conclusion of the meeting, should forward a report indicating the names and addresses of persons elected as president and the office-bearers of the committee.
Thereafter, the collector should forward the list to the DWDA for passing orders regarding recognition and release of funds, the judge added.