Bantwal :Gram Sabhas should be meetings where the people have their say and not a mere platform for the elected representatives and officials, said Sheena Shetty, District Ombudsman of Employment Guarantee Scheme.

He was speaking after inaugurating the first Gram Sabha of the year 2014-15 of Kavalamudur Gram Panchayat held at Kavalamudur Higher Primary School on Thursday June 19. “Gram Sabhas should be Vidhana Sabhas of villages in true sense with active participation of people in development,” he said. They should be the voice of the people, he further added.

Cyprian Miranda. Taluk Panchayat Executive officer, said Kavalamudur village has earned the distinction of being a panchayat which has  registered 100 per cent progress in payment of all taxes.

Yaqub Saheb, Gram Panchayat President presided over the meeting. Padmashekhar Jain, Taluk Panchayat Member, Sunanda, GP Vice President,  Krishna Moolya, Director of Jana Shikshana Trust,  Manju Vittal, Convenor of  Employment Guarantee Scheme, Doomappa, APMC Member, Vishwanath Poojary,  President of local agricultural service co-operative bank and other Panchayat Members were present.