S N CHINNAPPA Vs. STATE OF KARNATAKA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioners who are members of the Zilla Panchayat, Chikkabalapura, have filed the present Writ Petition, challenging the validity of the Government Order dated 15.12.2012 whereby the responsibility of disbursing and utilizing funds for developmental purposes had been entrusted to the President of the Zilla Panchayat.

(2.) The funds were made available pursuant to the budgetary allocation in the year 2012-2013 and a sum of Rs.2 Crores which was in the form of an untied grant had been allocated to the President of the Zilla Panchayat for utilization. The impugned notification specified that this arrangement was limited to the year 2012-2013.

(3.) This was stated to be in supersession of the earlier Government Order, which provided that the funds referred to above, would be allocated in the form of a "Zilla Panchayat Development Fund" in accordance with the notification dated 25.09.2012. The said notification further provided that the action plan for the developmental activities relating to utilization of funds that were allocated, would be prepared taking note of the recommendations advanced by the Gram Sabha and provided for certain guidelines as regards utilization of funds.