WHAT'S UP?: AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh having a word with APCC chief K. Keshava Rao at a meeting in Hyderabad on Thursday.

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy has expressed confidence that the Congress will surpass its existing tally in next Assembly elections with the performance of newly-elected Zilla Parishad (ZP) and Mandal Praja Parishad (MPP) representatives in coming two years.

"Your commitment, hard work and transparent functioning will certainly bear fruits," Dr. Reddy said, adding that this should reflect in next elections when the Congress is sure to surpass its 2004 tally. "Promises to voters have to be fulfilled at any cost," the Chief Minister said while addressing elected representatives at a convention organised by the APCC here on Thursday.

Takes a dig at media

He pointed out that the large number of Lok Sabha seats that the Congress won in the State during the last election had facilitated the UPA to wrest power at the Centre. In a hard-hitting speech, Dr. Reddy lashed out at the media and opposition parties for desperately trying to corner the Government on trivial issues. He asked a section of the media as to why it had ignored glaring mistakes and non-fulfilment of poll promises by the previous TDP Government.

Dr. Reddy said 55 lakh houses would be built for the poor before next elections. Stating that there could be a marginal delay in completion of some irrigation projects due to the floods, he hastened to add that 7.50 lakh acres would be brought under irrigation in kharif.

Ppwers for PR bodies

AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh wanted the panchayat raj (PR) bodies to get more powers and advised the Government to work in that direction.

Though MPs and MLAs would not like powers to be delegated to the PR bodies, it should be done, he observed.

Panchayat Raj Minister J.C. Diwakar Reddy said that plans were afoot to constitute district planning boards and transfer a majority of the 29 subjects to PR bodies. Key subjects like school education, agriculture, health and minor irrigation would be handed over to the Zilla Parishads.

APCC president K. Keshava Rao and a number of ZP chiefs and MPP presidents spoke.

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