The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Minister admits to delay in devolving powers to local bodies

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Friday, Nov 16, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Minister admits to delay in devolving powers to local bodies

Special Correspondent

‘Government committed to transferring all 29 subjects to local bodies’
Efforts underway to see that local bodies are provided with sufficient funds

HYDERABAD: Admitting delay in devolution of powers to local bodies, Panchayat Raj Minister J.C. Diwakar Reddy said the government was working on concrete steps to ensure that the subjects transferred did not remain merely on paper.

Replying to a debate on empowering local bodies in the Legislative Council on Thursday, the Minister said the government was committed to transferring all the 29 subjects to local bodies in line with the 73rd Constitutional amendment. His department was currently engaged in studying the three-tier system involving panchayat, mandal and zilla parishad and modalities were worked out to ensure that there was no interference of one into the jurisdiction of others.

Fresh guidelines

In addition, efforts were underway to see that the local bodies were provided with sufficient funds that would ensure their effective functioning. Once the issue had been finalised, the government would issue fresh guidelines with clarity on the funds and functions of panchayat.

Refuting charges that the government failed to strengthen local bodies, he said the main Opposition Telugu Desam had no moral right to speak on the issue as it was during the TDP regime the nodal officer system was introduced to dilute the system. The Minister said sarpanches were not given voting rights in the election to Legislative Council as the Constitution did not provide for it.

Earlier, Opposition leader Dadi Veerabhadra Rao expressed concern that sarpanches were not being consulted in selection of beneficiaries for Indiramma housing scheme.

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