Nalur Kolige GP members in Thirthahalli taluk to boycott MLC polls

All the elected members of Nalur Kolige Gram Panchayat in Thirthahalli taluk have decided to boycott the Legislative Council poll, as a mark of protest against delay in releasing the panchayat’s share

All the elected members of Nalur Kolige Gram Panchayat in Thirthahalli taluk have decided to boycott the Legislative Council poll, as a mark of protest against delay in releasing the panchayat’s share in the royalty earned from three sand quarries.

The seven members, including president Sharada Vasappa and vice-president Sujata Chandru, have written to the Shivamogga Deputy Commissioner conveying their decision. The panchayat has urged the State Government to release its share of ₹2.48 crore. The members who signed the memorandum are Mohan, Sandeep B.G., Dvijaraj, Sudha Devaraj, and Anita Sadu.

Mr. Sandeep B.G. told The Hindu that three sand extraction points had been active at Baggodu village. The rural local body should get 25% of the total royalty earned by the Mines and Geology Department by selling the sand. “The money is meant for development works in the villages. Heavy trucks that carry sand have damaged roads. However, the government has not released the amount since 2018-19. Every year, we were supposed to get ₹84 lakh,” he said.