Joshi rules out extension of ZP presidents’ term

Joshi said that the State Government would consider giving a honorarium to sarpanchs and discretionary funds for the chairmen of panchayat samities and said that funds with the government from the process of privatisation would be diverted to rural development schemes.

The Chief Minister also announced that his government would soon come out with a new policy on transfer of State Government officials to ensure that elected representatives get more powers than the bureaucrats.

Joshi pointed out that even the Puranik Committee has recommended that there should be no political interference in transfers. Referring to the plea made by some representatives that people’s representatives should have a say in transfers of officials, Joshi said “It was seen that many a times people use ministers to transfer officials as a personal favour, this should be curtailed and stricter guidelines should be enforced.” But he added that he would consider the sentiments expressed by most of the representatives.

This was the third such conference since 1993. Education Minister Sudhir Joshi, in answer to the various demands put forth, said that all vacancies for teachers in primary schools will be filled before the schools start.

He assured that besides election duties, no other work will be demanded of the teachers and added that there is a demand for 70,000 classrooms all over the State. Not finding it a feasible task for the government to accomplish, he asked the Zilla Parishad presidents to make provisions for the construction through their various schemes.

There was a sharp reaction among the participants over tenure of the presidents and heads of different subject committees. “If not five years it should at least be three years,” said Maruti Gopal Thorat, a newly elected representative from Karad Tehsil. “It is not possible to prove oneself in one year’s time, it takes time to understand and know one’s constituency.

The government wants servant-shahi and not lok-shahi,” he complained.

Of those newly elected to the Zilla Parishad about 80-90 per cent are first time winners, mostly women, who have been elected following the 33 per cent reservations. “If we do not perform well in one year, we will have to listen to barbs that a woman is incapable,” said Jayashri Patil from Latur.

The representatives asked the ministers whether they would be ready to have their term cut short to one year.

Ashok Deshmukh Suryavanshi, Panchyat Samiti chairman from Buldhana told The Indian Express, that primary schools there had no drinking water facility, no toilets and only teacher taught four classes at a time.

“Almost 25 per cent of the teachers are either alcoholics or unqualified, but the education officer at the Zilla Parishad never acknowledges our complaints.”

“The government provided vehicles were in such dilapidated conditions that it would be better if the government offered us bullock carts,” said a representative from Sangli.