The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Visakhapatnam News : "Fund diversion adds to civic bodies' woes"

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Tuesday, Sep 12, 2006
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

"Fund diversion adds to civic bodies' woes"

Staff Reporter

Cadre urged to play a key role in coming GVMC elections

VISAKHAPATNAM: Local bodies' problems have been confounded because of the State Government diverting funds due to them from the Central Government, the CPI State Council member K. Subbaraju has said. The development in towns and villages was stagnant because of the State Government utilising the funds for its own ends, he said at a meeting of CPI units under the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation here on Sunday.

Mr. Subbaraju charged the Congress Government with diverting Rs.100 crores meant for the local bodies. "The Rajasekhar Reddy Government is no different in this respect from the TDP Government," he said. Expressing anguish over the constitutional amendment earmarking funds to local bodies not being implemented, he said the State Government was not even spending 5 per cent of the taxes collected on local bodies. The CPI leader wanted the administration to suitably change its ways in dealing with the areas merged in the corporation. People in the merged areas might find it difficult to comply if taxes were levied on a par with the city. He called upon the CPI cadre to play a key role in the coming GVMC elections.

Elected

CPI district secretary J.V. Satyanarayana Murthy said in the vast area of 505 sq. km. of GVMC, many parts were still underdeveloped. Stating that development would be affected without an elected body, he wanted the municipal polls to be conducted at once. Ch. Raghavendra Rao and A.J. Stalin have been elected secretary and assistant secretary of the GVMC CPI city unit.

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