Nellore: Respect protocol norms in govt programmes: TDP

Nellore: TDP district spokesperson Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy asked the district administration to make its stand clear on the implementation of protocol in government programmes.

Addressing media at the party office on Wednesday, he took serious note on allowing in-charges of party offices and relatives of legislators in the official programmes as guests along with other dignitaries and asked which protocol permitted them to do so.

He said the Collector and Municipal Commissioners must stop such practices respecting the norms set by the government. He said the Minister Anil Kumar has engaged his paternal uncle and Nellore Rural MLA K Sridhar Reddy deputed his brother Giridhar Reddy as in-charge of party offices to look after things on their behalf. The district officials can respect them, but they shouldn't violate the protocol involving them in the official launches and programmes along with other dignitaries, he said. He asked the civic officials to stop 'Giri Pradakshina' moving around Giridhar Reddy, for each and everything in the Municipal Corporation.

Further, Venkata Ramana Reddy said the State government had announced 59.8 per cent of reservations for the backward classes in Panchayats whereas the number is only 50 per cent in Corporation limits. He asked as to why they had given low preference to the backward communities in urban areas and questioned the rationality behind it.

He reminded that the Telangana Government announced similar reservations where the issue has been challenged in the High Court and received a unfavourable verdict. The TDP leader asked as to why this is being repeated in Andhra Pradesh where Rampratap Reddy, the follower of the Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, approached the court and got stay orders.

"You are announcing elections and getting stay orders from the court. We think the ruling party has no courage to face the elections and hence it has been playing this kind of gimmicks. Moreover, the government is blaming us for all its misdeeds," said Venkata Ramana Reddy. He also said the erratic process of the delimitation process in the civic body attracted stay orders from the High Court and said the senior officials have done them due to pressure mounted by leaders from the ruling party.