A proposal to upgrade 347 gram panchayats as town panchayats was before the Karnataka Government, state Minister for Municipal Administration Balachandra Jarkiholi said. A decision in this regard was expected to emerge in a fortnight after discussion with chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, he told reporters here. An official committee that was set up to look into the proposals for upgrading gram panchayats as Town Panchayts had submitted its interim report, he said.
Meanwhile, the State Election Commission has written to the government that any decision on upgradation of gram panchyats should be taken by this month end as elections will be held to gram panchayats in January next, he said. The government was also contemplating to upgrade 52 town panchayats as Town Municipal councils, Jarkiholi said.
Officials in local bodies have been directed to take measures to check outbreak of epidemics as chikungunya and dengue cases have been reported in some parts, he said.
