Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has criticised the Opposition Congress for its attempts to obstruct the works launched by the State government to achieve accelerated development.
The Congress’ attitude could be seen from the fact that the party had prompted filing of over 200 cases against construction of irrigation projects and the way it opposed the government’s move to provide jobs on compassionate basis in the public sector Singareni Collieries Company Limited. “The Congress should at least now take up introspection of the projects which it should oppose and the projects which should be supported,” he said.
The Chief Minister was responding to the comments made by Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka expressing concerns over the contents of the Municipal Administration Bill that was passed in the Assembly on Friday. Mr. Bhatti lamented that the new legislation appeared to be aimed at centralisation of powers rather than decentralisation and this would not uphold the spirit of Gram Swaraj.
‘Scope for misuse’
He said vesting the powers for deciding the priorities at the local bodies’ level in the collectors would go against the spirit of the 73rd and 74th amendments of the Constitution and it would in turn have an adverse impact on the freedom of the elected local bodies. “They (local bodies) too consist of elected representatives and vesting regulatory powers with the collectors will impact their functioning,” he said. There was also scope for misuse of these powers in the longer term as there was every possibility of the projects mooted by elected representatives other than those of the ruling party being put down.
The Chief Minister was, however, categorical that the new legislation was aimed at imparting a work culture and effective delivery systems in the municipalities which were faced with several problems. People were suffering because of the state of affairs in the municipalities and the government was not inclined to allow the situation to continue.
Harassment of people
“Should the government allow the harassment of the people and corruption in the municipal bodies to continue? There is no use of trying to cajole the officials concerned to deliver. Regulation is must to ensure that they deliver,” Mr. Rao asserted.
On the questions raised about the failure to enhance reservations to BCs and other communities in the local bodies, he said the government had tried its best to enhance the quota and a resolution passed by the Legislative Assembly was sent to the Centre in this regard.
