Centre making mockery of panchayat raj system: CM KCR

Hyderabad: The meeting to review the arrangements for the proposed Palle Pragati and Pattana Pragati from June 3, took political overtones as Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao lashed at all the successive governments from Rajiv Gandhi to Modi on the issue of 74th Constitution Amendment.

It may be recalled that the 74th Constitution amendment was brought in by the Congress government headed by Rajiv Gandhi 27 years ago. It was meant to provide self-governance of gram panchayats and empower them with decision-making abilities, revenue generation and financial autonomy.

However, KCR feels that this was a wrong move and shows that the Centre does not trust the states. He took strong objection to the Centre's move to transfer funds to the local bodies. He said only states are well informed about the priorities but the Centre has snatched away the powers of states. They have no freedom in the implementation of Jawahar Rojgar Yojana, PM Grameena Sadak Yojana and other employment schemes like NREGA. "This is not good practice. Funds should not be transferred directly to Urban Local Bodies," he said.

KCR said though the country was celebrating Azadi

Ka Amrut Mahotsav, still many villages and urban bodies were deprived of power supply.

"People are taking to the streets for drinking water and irrigation purposes. The expected growth in education and employment did not happen. All this because earlier the panchayat system used to have special respect which was lost after the constitution amendment," he said.

He said politics have creeped into the PR system and the spirit of panchayat raj has been killed. The Constitutional amendment, KCR felt, was a mockery of the decisions taken by SK Dey who was the father of rural development. Dey was also the first Union Cabinet minister for Cooperation and Panchayat Raj and the one who pioneered and steered community development, KCR added.