The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) came down heavily on the State government for not allowing the Opposition party activists and leaders to make representations on behalf of the people in the Rachabanda programme. The party said that the government ridiculed democracy by allowing alleged rowdysheeters and goondas onto the dais at the programme.
Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, CPI(M) city secretary Ch. Babu Rao said that the police made their presence felt at the Rachabanda programmes in the city.
The venues were cordoned off by them, and the officials acted at the dictums of elected representatives. The officials allowed former ruling party corporators to occupy the dais, but the same courtesy was not extended to former corporators of Opposition parties. The Opposition party leaders were in fact dragged out of the venue forcibly. In fact, the opposition leaders were barred from entry, and were picked up by the police even before they reached the venue, he said.
The Congress leaders received applications from the public while the officials vanished from the scene or played the role of silent spectators. The officials did not issue any receipts to the applications and petitions given by the people. It was evident that the applications would be consigned to the dustbin as soon as the programme was over. It appeared that the government conducted the third round of Rachabanda only for a political mileage and also to project Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy an as integrationist, he said.
The ration cards, pensions, interest free loans, pavala vaddi were distributed after two years.
The beneficiaries lost pensions, ration, and interest etc to the tune of Rs.100 crore due to delay in the city. The government violated the human rights and made a mockery out of democracy by organising the programme in an autocratic manner, he said, adding, “These issues would be brought to the notice of Human Rights Commission. The praja sanghalu would be roped in to highlight the misdeeds of government and create awareness among the public”.
