GP members’ honoraria: KSE withdraws reply as members push back

Following a ruckus in the Legislative Council on hiking the honoraria for Gram Panchayat members, Rural Development & Panchayat Raj Minister K S Eshwarappa said the finance department had rejected a proposal in this regard last year.

Responding to the demand by members cutting across party lines, Eshwarappa said a proposal was sent to the finance department in 2021, on increasing the honoraria for the panchayat members, beginning from hiking the pay of the GP president to Rs 6,000. The overall hike in pay would cost the government an additional Rs 317 crore. The finance department refused to oblige, he said.

While this was the official government response that the minister presented on the floor of the Upper House, he withdrew the response owing to pressure from the members.

Offering an olive branch, he told the 25 members elected from local authorities’ constituencies that he would convene a meeting on March 14 to explore avenues.

While much has been said about the Kerala and West Bengal models when it comes to salaries paid to Gram Panchayat members and funds allocated to wards, the state government will send a delegation of all these members to Kerala to study the Panchayats there, Eshwarappa said.

“Based on this visit, let us take stock of all the reformative measures that can be introduced in Karnataka,” the minister said.

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