Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has said that the Congress party should evaluate the functioning of its local body members and address shortcomings, if any.
Stating that the fate of the party in the local body elections depended on the performance of its local body chairpersons, Mr. Chennithala said those getting elected to three-tier local bodies stayed away from the party thereafter.
Mr. Chennithala was delivering the keynote address at a central zone meeting of office bearers of Congress-ruled local bodies held here on Saturday.
Local body chairpersons are duty-bound to utilise their power and funds allocated by the government meaningfully. Plan project operations should be undertaken successfully. Dropping projects midway could prove disastrous.
Mr. Chennithala said plan projects were not being properly implemented in many panchayats. Necessary precautions were not being taken while preparing annual projects.
The Home Minister called for a change in reservation wards ahead of elections to local bodies. Demanding a decision on the issue, he said such a system of rotation was inevitable in view of the 50 per cent reservation for women in local bodies.
The government is yet to decide on whether or not to delimit wards. A collective decision was required on the issue, he said.