260 gram panchayats in Mysuru dist to get administrators

Mysuru: The Mysuru district administration has begun the process of appointing administrators to 260 gram panchayats (GPs) whose elected bodies have completed their terms, following state government orders to place such GPs under administrative control. Elections to these GPs were last held in Dec 2020.After the department of rural development and panchayat raj institutions issued a notification directing all districts to appoint administrators, the Mysuru administration initiated steps to identify and assign officers to 216 GPs under its jurisdiction.Officials compiled a list of personnel from various departments — including agriculture, horticulture, minor irrigation and others — through the zilla panchayat. These officers will be appointed as administrators to the GPs falling under their respective areas. Each officer is expected to take charge of one or two GPs. They will remain in office until new elected bodies assume charge.Administrators are also required to prepare the action plan for new development works for 2026–27, prepare budget estimates, and oversee routine administrative functioning across all 260 GPs.Speaking to TOI, zilla panchayat deputy secretary M Krishnaprasad said the district administration has collected details of officers to be appointed as administrators to ensure smooth functioning of all GPs. The list, he added, will soon be announced by the deputy commissioner.Most local bodies in the district — including the Mysuru City Corporation, taluk panchayats and now 260 GPs — are currently operating without elected representatives. JD(S) Mysuru city president SBM Manju said the Congress, which claims to support a three-tier decentralised governance system, must conduct elections at the earliest.District Congress president BJ Vijaykumar said delays in issuing the reservation list and other procedural factors postponed the polls. He added that minister Siddaramaiah has now initiated steps to hold elections to both rural and urban local bodies within the next three months.District BJP vice-president Arunkumar Gowda also urged the govt to conduct elections without prolonging administrative rule in these institutions.