CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has urged the State Government to allot 30 per cent of its revenue to local bodies for their effective functioning.

Paucity of funds

Releasing the party's manifesto for the local body elections here on Thursday, its State secretary N. Varadarajan said that due to paucity of funds, civic bodies could not implement welfare schemes in their areas.

While in other States, the allotment ranged from 25 to 30 per cent of their revenue, in Tamil Nadu it was a meagre 8 per cent.

Just like the Centre, which was allotting 30.5 per cent of its revenue to the States, the State Government should give the same percentage to the local bodies. Only by empowering the local bodies, rural economy could be improved. The party had already brought this to the notice of the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). Unfortunately both the Dravidian parties were not inclined to sanction adequate funds for the local bodies.

The party manifesto assured that the party would work for protected drinking water supply to all habitations. He said at present more than 50 per cent of the villages did not have protected water supply.

Manual scavenging

Another issue which would be highlighted would be manual scavenging in rural areas. More than 35 per cent of villages where manual scavenging was in vogue did not have toilet facilities. It was a shame that this inhuman practice was being practised.

While much attention was being for improving infrastructure in urban areas, conditions continued to remain poor in rural areas. All these issues, he said, would be brought to focus during the party's election campaign in the State.

Seat-sharing pact

The CPI(M) leader said that by and large a broad agreement had been reached among constituents of the Democratic Progressive Alliance on sharing of seats. But the agreement was confined to the posts of indirect elections only.

However, the party had an understanding with the DMK throughout the State except in Chennai and Salem Corporations where the party would be contesting on its own.

Though the party did not subscribe to the ruling party's claim that it had implemented 75 per cent of its poll promises, it felt that the ruling party was serious in honouring its poll promises.

Hopeful of DPA win

Expressing confidence that the DPA would win in a majority of seats, Mr. Varadarajan said that the AIADMK and the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam had no clear-cut policies on many issues and the people would reject them in the elections.

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