‘No confidence’ motion moved against Mahakalapada block chairperson; vote on April 5

A vote of ‘no confidence’ is scheduled to be held against Kalpana Rout, the chairperson of Mahakalapada block in Kendrapara district, on April 5. The signature verification process, a necessary step for this proceeding, was concluded on Friday.

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The motion has been initiated by 31 sarpanchs (village heads) and Samiti members, who allege that the chairperson has been an impediment to development activities in the block. A total of 42 individuals have signed the motion, and today, these signatures were verified in the presence of Sub-Collector.

“We have brought the ‘no confidence’ motion in order to accelerate ‘development’ in this region and to be a part of the progress being done in Odisha by the ‘double-engine sarkar’,” Batighara panchayat Samiti member, Krishnapada Mandal expressed.

“Mahakalapada panchayat Samiti had become stagnant for the last several months. We had become disgusted with the high-handed activities of the block chairperson (Kalpana Rout). Earlier we had decided to bring this motion and the signatures of a large number of members were verified today,” the panchayat Samiti member stated.

“Around 42 persons signed the ‘no confidence’ motion and their signatures have been verified. Allegedly, she (Kalpana Rout) is not working properly and no developmental work is being done in the block,” Kendrapara Sub-Collector Arun Nayak said.

“The date of voting has been fixed for April 5,” the Sub-Collector added.

Specific grounds needed for initiating a motion

While the specific grounds can vary, they generally relate to the allegations of corruption, mismanagement, incompetence, or failure to fulfil duties. For instance, a 2019 case in the Bolangir Zilla Parishad saw a no-confidence motion against the chairperson over alleged financial irregularities in MGNREGA implementation. The Odisha Panchayati Raj Act, 1996, outlines the broad framework for such motions.

Process for conducting a no-confidence motion

The process typically involves submitting a written notice signed by a certain number of members to the designated authority, followed by a period for verification and a meeting where the motion is debated and voted upon. Specific rules are laid down in the relevant state Panchayati Raj Act. Similar to parliamentary procedures, a majority vote generally decides the outcome.

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Consequences of a successful no-confidence

A successful motion leads to the removal of the chairperson from office. The process for electing a new chairperson is then initiated as per the established rules. For example, a 2022 case in Ganjam district saw a chairperson removed after a no-confidence motion related to allegations of obstructing development work.