REPRESENTATIVES ISSUED SHOW CAUSE NOTICE;

Madikeri December 13, 2007

Elected representatives of the City Minicipal Council here are served with Show cause notice from High Court.

Justice Mohan Shantan Gounder has issued notice to the 31 elected representatives of the CMC and has questioned the ground with which they contested.

The notice comes as a former member of the CMC, Chami had questioned the legality of increasing the number of wards from 23 to 31 at Madikeri. He had said that government has not amended law to increase the number of wards and casually went ahead with the bifurcation and election. Numbers were increased simply based on oral nod by the government.

Increasing the number of wards should be done on the basis of populationunder section 11. 23 wards of Madikeri were done accordingly and increasing it to 31 will not support the criteria.

The citizens of Madikeri fear that the election held recently will turn null and void. The elected representatives are visibly disturbed by the development and believe that re election is inevitable.

The court will arrive at a decision after the councilors send written reply.

ZP DECIDES ISSUE NOTICE TO OFFICIALS;

The Zilla Panchayath yesterday decided to issue notice to officials who were absent in the meeting. The meeting which began on Wednesday continued yesterday and chairs of officials were almost empty. The members took objection to the continued absence of many officers to meetings and said that they are causing insult to the elected representatives.

CEO Sundar said that erring officials would be served with notice to explain why they were absent.

The meeting chaired by president Deergakeshi Shivanna discussed at length the employment Assurance scheme. The members stated that the norms laid out to the scheme is not suitable to the district and even the amount rupees 74 fixed for the payment is also very less. The meeting observed that the scheme is not suitable as the topography of Kodagu is different and the scheme should be altered to suit the local condition.

A resolution was passed to meet the concerned central ministers to request them to alter the scheme to suit to the local environment. Members informed the meeting that the government is paying rupees 120 per day in the scheme at Kerala, whereas it is just rupees 74 here.

The meeting decided to vacate encroachments from lands belonging to Zilla Panchayath.

Resolution was passed to sanction rupees ten lakh for providing drinking water to Somwarpet and Virajpet. Earlier, some of the members objected stating that amount is being sanctioned only to Madikeri. Madikeri is sanctioned rupees 47 lakhs.

DIES IN ABUDABI;

A resident of madikeri has died at Abudabi in an accident.

K.Y.Kathim, 36, son of a former agriculture officer, K.M.Ermu from madikeri had a fall from a building on Tuesday and died on the spot, according to reports. He fell backwards as he was answering a phone call. He was standing on a resort building being constructed, the family sources said.

The body will be brought to Madikeri tomorrow. Deceased leaves wife and two children.