The Hindu 02.09.2009
All municipalities permitted to outsource workers
Special Correspondent
| Panel to study upgrading of gram panchayats |
Municipal authorities to ensure that outsourced workers are paid stipulated salary
Allocation of funds for SC/ST welfare hiked
Bangalore: The State Government on Tuesday took several important decisions pertaining to municipalities, including the constitution of a high-level committee to study the upgradation of a number of gram panchayats as town panchayats to ensure all round development of major villages in far-flung areas.
The other decisions related to outsourcing of municipal workers by all the 218 municipalities in the State and enhancement of the funds earmarked for the welfare of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
The eight City Municipal Corporations and the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike have already been permitted to outsource municipal workers. There are 94 town municipal councils, 44 city municipal councils and 68 town panchayats in the State.
Talking to presspersons after the high-level meeting here, Minister for Municipalities and Local Bodies Balachandra Jarkiholi said the Director of Municipal Administration has been asked to study the necessity and feasibility of upgrading nearly 350 gram panchayats to taluk panchayats. There is also a demand to upgrade 52 taluk panchayats to town municipal councils but the director has suggested that this upgradation exercise should be restricted to 19 taluk panchayats.
Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, who has left on a weeklong visit to China, is expected to call for a meeting of top officials of the municipal administration and urban development on his return and take a final call on the upgradation of the panchayats.
There are nearly 5,800 gram panchayats in the State and nearly a 100 of the 225 legislators have urged the Government to upgrade a large number of gram panchayats, which would hasten their development.
Mr. Jarkiholi said the municipal authorities have been directed to ensure that the outsourced workers were paid the stipulated salary and that they were not harassed by the contractors for whom they worked for. The salaries of the outsourced municipal workers will be paid by the municipalities concerned and the Government will provide the requisite grants for the purpose.
More funds
He said the allocation for SC and ST welfare in the municipalities had been raised from Rs. 191 crore to Rs. 300 crore a year. The SC and ST fund in the municipalities is derived from the property taxes of the respective municipalities and the Government grants. Directions have also been issued that 55 per cent of the amount set apart for the SCs and STs should be utilised for individual welfare (housing, scholarships and skill development) and the remaining should be utilised for community development programmes.
