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State News And Discussion - II
<!--emo&Sad--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' /><!--endemo--> Democracy for sale in TN, highest bidders get Panchayat posts
Jaya MenonPosted online: Tuesday, September 26, 2006 at 0000 hrs Print EmailLocal Polls: Villagers want me as leader, want me to spend money, says Madurai village Panchayat chief, who is said to have paid Rs 6 lakh at auction
Madurai, September 25: In a blatant violation of the democratic process, several villages across Tamil Nadu, where local-body elections are due on October 13 and 15, are seeing frenetic auctions for the posts of Panchayat presidents, vice-presidents, municipal and town Panchayat ward members.


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Biddings have already taken place in village squares or temple premises in several districts including Madurai, Krishnagiri, Namakkal and Vellore, with at least one Panchayat president post going for Rs 6 lakh.

Sources said Kanda Thevar Bose, a functionary of the All India Forward Bloc, was the highest bidder for the Panchayat president’s post of the Ayyanarkulam village, which falls within the Chellampatti Union in Madurai district.

“He paid Rs 6 lakh for contesting the Panchayat president’s post unopposed,’’ M Thangaraj, the CPM Chellampatti Union Secretary, told The Indian Express.

When contacted tonight, Bose, who is also the sitting Panchayat president, said: “An auction was held and the villagers wanted me to be their leader and they wanted me to spend money for the village. I won the auction.”

Wasn’t this buying his way to the seat? “Three people have filed their nominations but I am confident of winning,” he said. The Panchayat chief’s job is considered a “lucrative” one given his access to village welfare funding.

The auction took place on Saturday in front of village elders, with about five persons participating in the bid. The bid amounts go under various heads including “temple funds” and “village welfare funds.”

In fact, when the local police heard about the bids, they chased away the crowd. But, later, the enterprising villagers stealthily huddled into a van and the auction was conducted in the moving vehicle about 5 km from Ayyanarkulum village, said Thangaraj.

Auction for village panchayat presidents’ posts were held in Rasakkapatti and Vadakaatupatti villages which fall within the Usilampatty Union in Madurai District. In Rasakkapatty village, Maya Thevar, was the highest bidder, promising to build a temple in the village for Rs 2 lakh. In nearby Pottulapatti, Amaithi Thevaraj, who owns a shop in the village, is said to be the highest bidder, paying the village Rs 2 lakh for the Panchayat president’s post.

Said S Venkatesan, Madurai district CPM secretariat member: “We are making all attempts to break these auctions by asking our members to file nominations. We have also informed the District Collectors.”

Shaken by these reports, State Election Commissioner D Chandrashekaran has directed District Collectors to take action. But villagers aren’t quite cooperative. A lawyer, Ravichandran, who dared to defy the village diktat in Pottulapatti by filing his nomination, has been singled out for ostracism.

“As soon as we heard about two or three cases of bidding for local body posts, we sent out teams of revenue officials and police. Villagers started filing their nominations. They gave us in writing that no such bidding has taken place,’’ said G Sundaramurthy, Namakkal District Collector, who has threatened to book those participating in the bids under the Goondas Act.

While elections to the local bodies in the state will be held in two phases on October 13 and 15, Corporation Mayors, municipal and town panchayat chairpersons will be elected by elected councillors on October 28.

The last day for filing of nominations is September 27 and last day for withdrawal of nominations is September 30. The total number of posts for which elections would be held are 130,962.

jaya.menon@expressindia.com


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