Studies in Cola History and Administration c12.77

c12.77

The provision that ex-members of the garden and tank committees should, if elected, be preferred for the annual committee calls for some consideration. Except in the case of the annual committee, the rules in 'A' forbade the re-election of the same person, even after the three year interval, to the same committee ('A' l. 11). This restriction does not appear in 'B'. How many of the thirty representatives of the *kuḍumbus* chosen in any year possessed experience of service on committees was purely a matter of accident. If our view, that the committee system was first adopted for the management of the affairs of the *Sabhā* when 'A' was drawn up, is accepted, the rule against the re-election of any person who had served on a committee within the three years preceding the election would have precluded any person with such experience getting on the panel of thirty in the first year or two after 'B' came into force. On the other hand, there was nothing to prevent more than twelve such persons being included in the panel in subsequent years. In either event, the preference shown to age and learning would guide the choice of the twelve for the annual committee.