Stage set for special officers to take over rural local bodies in Tiruchi district-OxBig News Network

As the term of elected representatives of rural local bodies came to an end on Sunday, the stage is set for the Special Officers to take control of the panchayats and panchayat unions in the district.

There are 404 village panchayats and 14 panchayat unions and one district panchayat in the district. Elections to various posts of village panchayat presidents, ward members of village panchayats, ward members of panchayat unions and ward members of district panchayat were held in two phases in December 2019. After the indirect elections to the posts of panchayat union chairman, vice-chairman and district panchayat president and vice- president, the elected members assumed office on January 5, 2020.

The five-year term of elected members of the rural local bodies came to an end on Sunday. Though the elections to the rural local bodies should have been conducted by this time, the State government decided to hold the elections after completing delimitation and re-organisation of the rural local bodies, the process to that effect has been started. According to sources, it will take a few months to complete the process. Till the elections to elect new representatives, the officials here said the rural local bodies will be managed by the Special Offers. A direction is expected anytime from the State Government.

A senior official of the district told The Hindu Block Development Officers of the panchayat unions would be appointed as Special Officers of the respective panchayats. Similarly, Assistant Directors of Panchayats and Audit would be made as Special Officers of panchayat unions. Zonal Deputy Block Development Officers would be given the task of discharging the duties and responsibilities of vice-chairman of panchayat unions. The duties and responsibilities of the district panchayat, which were handled by the district panchayat president, would be handled by the Project Director, District Rural Development Agency. The district Collector would have overall supervising power of all rural local bodies.

The official added that there would be no let up in implementing the infrastructure development in rural areas. All infrastructure work such as construction of roads, drainage and water tanks would be carried out depending on the need.