Mangaluru: Bajpe gram panchayat (GP) in Mangaluru taluk is the first village in the district to record its panchayat meetings and upload it online. The video will be available on rural development and panchayat raj department’s Panchatantra website.
The GP successfully conducted its first meeting with televised proceedings on October 25. Speaking to, panchayat development officer Sayish Chowta, said: “We are the first GP in the district to record and upload videos of our meeting after a circular in this regard was issued by the state government. According to the circular, the Karnataka Panchayat Raj Act, 1993, mandates every gram panchayat to record their proceedings through audio/video cameras. We received the government circular on September 18. After this, we have made permanent arrangements by fixing cameras inside the meeting hall with government funds.”
“The meeting on October 25 lasted for nearly four hours. It is not possible to upload the entire video. Hence, an edited version has been uploaded on Panchatantra website. People access these visuals by creating a login ID,” he said, adding that the GP has 25 elected members.
“Another advantage of this new initiative is that citizens can obtain the recording of the proceedings through RTI and the same can be used for any legal issues. This initiative will ensure transparency in the administration of gram panchayats,” he said. The gram panchayat president, Rozi Mathais, said: “The state government’s decision will reform administration in villages.”