A large number of elected members, heads of the local bodies of several village panchayats, participated in a protest march in Chennai on Thursday.
The panchayat heads, wearing black, staged their protest march from the Rajarathinam stadium in Egmore to the Secretariat, where a representation was handed over the government. The protesters wanted the independence of the Panchayati Raj system to be protected against the interference of the State and Central governments.
The march, conducted by the Tamizhnadu Ooratchi Mandra Thalaivargal Kootamaippu, saw panchayat presidents participating from several districts of the State.
M. Sabarigirivasan, president of the Sulakal village panchayat in Coimbatore district, said the State government has completely taken over the finances of the village panchayats by centralising the funds, and so, elected members do not have any powers to recommend or execute any civic infrastructure work. This went against the Panchayati Raj system, he said.
The members, holding placards, also raised slogans against government interference in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNERGA) scheme and the Anaithu Grama Anna Marumalarchi Thittam (AGAMT).
The protesting members also wanted salaries to be paid to them similar the to salaries paid to councillors of the Chennai Corporation.
