Vijayawada: Yanamala accuses CM of 'destroying' local bodies

Vijayawada: TDP senior leader and former minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu on Thursday slammed the YSRCP government for 'totally destroying' local bodies by creating a parallel system of village and ward volunteers.

Ramakrishnudu said Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had turned his much-trumpeted decentralisation of development into a farce. The grama swaraj that Gandhiji dreamt of had become a mirage under the YSRCP regime. In a statement here, the Opposition Leader in Council challenged the Chief Minister to speak out about how much budget his government had spent on development. The village secretariats were formed on the pretext of strengthening the local bodies. But eventually, the Jagan regime snatched their funds as well.

He strongly objected to the government diverting Rs 7,500 crore funds of panchayats under the 14th and the 15th Finance Commissions and another Rs 3,500 crore of general funds. A total of Rs 11,000 crore funds of panchayats were snatched away in total violation of the financial norms. The local bodies were deprived of their powers and funds.

The TDP leader said Jagan Mohan Reddy had thrown into the dustbin Articles 243 G and 243 W relating to panchayat raj bodies and municipalities as per the 73, 74th Constitution Amendments. There were doubts whether the Chief Minister had any idea that the 73, 74th amendments related to the autonomy of the local and civic bodies.

The former minister said the YSRCP regime had made it a habit to block all development while imposing unbearable burdens like garbage tax. Jagan Mohan Reddy had deliberately crushed the leadership of weaker sections and backward classes in local bodies. He dealt a big blow to the SC, ST, BC and Minority aspirations.

The TDP leader lamented that the volunteer system was created only to usurp the powers of sarpanches, chairpersons and mayors. Jagan had no moral right to talk about decentralised development, he said.