Union Minister for Tourism G. Kishan Reddy has charged that the Congress Government is hell-bent on introducing the special officers rule, which goes against the spirit of the Constitution, following the end of the sarpanches’ tenure across the State.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi on Wednesday, the Minister, also the TS BJP president, reminded that the government has the beholden duty to hold elections on time and urged the continuation of sarpanches in their respective Gram Panchayats till the polls are being held or it will be an insult to the 73rd amendment of the Constitution.
Mr. Kishan Reddy pointed out that the Congress had promised to hold Gram Sabhas to choose beneficiaries of the various welfare schemes it wanted to initiate and wondered how the government intended to hold such meetings without sarpanches.
He also accused the previous BRS government of destroying the Panchayat Raj system during its rule and diverting funds disbursed by the Centre. Administering Gram Panchayats with the help of special officers will push the village set up further into the morass, he said.
The Minister charged that the government is planning to appoint special officers to avoid holding up village meetings and postpone the promised welfare schemes made before the polls. With the LS election notification expected within the next few days, the government is looking for putting off the implementation of the various guarantees made for at least four to five months, he added.
Meeting on LS polls tomorrow
In another development, the State unit of the party will have an exhaustive meeting on February 2 to decide the road map for the general elections campaign.
The Central parliamentary board will decide the BJP candidates, he maintained, refusing to answer questions about any alliance partner. Several intellectuals, public and private sector employees, ex-servicemen and others have been evincing interest in joining the party enthused by the Modi government, he said.
