Jagan totally destabilised panchayat raj system, says Chandarbabu

Mandapeta (Konaseema dist): Pointing out that panchayats have special powers while sarpanches, MPTCs and ZPTCs are crucial in the system like the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister, the former chief minister and TDP supremo, Nara Chandarbabu Naidu, said here on Thursday that the Constitution has accorded special powers to panchayats too.

Addressing a meeting on the impaired panchayat system in the State as part of 'Bhavishyathuku Guarantee' programme, Chandarbabu Naidu said that sarpanches get due respect only during the TDP regime. Calling upon the sarpanches to fight for their rights, including allocation of funds, Mr Chandrababu said that the Chief Minister, Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy, should run away from the State with the serious struggle by the sarpanches.

Stating that the country has a three-tier system in which the Center performs its duties while the State Government looks after the administration and the panchayats ruled by sarpanches should govern themselves. "If the self-administration of the panchayats is so strong the villages will develop fast and the great Mahatma Gandhi had advocated panchayats as the foundation for the whole system," Mr Chandrababu explained.

Recalling that in his capacity as the chief minister he has given special powers to sarpanches in 2002, the TDP supremo said that the party leader, Mr Babu Rajendra Prasad, has been fighting since long for the rights of the sarpanches. Of the five crore population in the State, 3.5 crore are living in rural areas, he said and added that 12,920 panchayats have been set up with sarpanches for these people.

Mr Jagan has totally undermined such a great panchayat system, Mr Chandarbabu regretted and stated that besides taking away their special powers, even the funds that are supposed to be utilised for the development of their villages have been diverted and being misused. Pointing out that the Finance Commission decides how much funds need to be released for panchayats, what is the share of the Centre and the State, the former chief minister said that the powers to spend these funds are accorded with the sarpanches.

"Only sarpanches and the grama sabhas have the right to spend the NAREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) funds for creating assets to their villages like tanks, constructions and panchayat buildings," Mr Chandarbabu Naidu maintained. Will this Chief Minister, who transferred the rights of the sarpanches to the local volunteers and his own partymen, allow anyone to interfere in his own powers, he asked.

Recalling how the TDP government had allocated funds for panchayats and how encouraged the development of the rural areas, Mr Chandarbabu Naidu stated that even seven panchayats have got national awards for the developmental works executed by them. "I have given highest respect to the sarpanches and increased their status. But all this remained as history," he regretted.

Mr Chandrababu felt an immediate need for the sarpanches to wage a war against this Government to get back their rights. "Now the time has come for all of you to uphold the decency and dignity of the panchayats and retain the system and it is your duty," Mr Chandarbabu Naidu said and called upon the sarpanches to begin their war right now. The former chief minister clarified the doubts raised by various sarpanches at the meeting.