100 GPs to be upgraded as town panchayats

BANGALORE: Minister for Municipal Administration Balachandra Jharkiholi said that about 100 gram panchayats (GPs) in the state would be upgraded as town panchayats by March 2012.Informing this to the media here on Thursday, the minister said that there was a demand for upgradation of about 400 GPs. But due to financial constraints, the government was mulling to upgrade at least 100 gram panchayats this year. Gram panchayats with a population greater than 10,000 would be considered for upgradation.Similarly, about 10 town panchayats would be upgraded into town municipalities and 15 town municipalities as city municipal corporations. This would be done on the basis of 2011 census. The minister has ordered for a survey of roads that fall under the limits of urban local bodies and also on the works taken up under the chief minister’s city development scheme.“Under the scheme, the government has spent Rs 160 crore on development of roads in ULB limits in the last three years. But the complaints about bad roads have not stopped. I have asked for a detailed report from the officials,” Jharkiholi said.