Andhra Pradesh - Tirupati   

‘Bureaucracy bane on PR bodies’

TIRUPATI: Problems plaguing the Panchayat Raj system and the ‘negative role’ being played by the bureaucracy in scuttling devolution of powers and funds to the PR bodies have come in for sharp criticism at an all-party round-table organised here on Monday by the Academy of Grassroots Studies and Research of India (AGRASRI) on the eve of its sixth anniversary. bane

Speaking after inaugurating the meet which had as its theme, “New Development Agenda in AP: Implementation and Challenges”, the Deputy Speaker of the A P Legislative Assembly, G. Kuthuhalamma said that there was no denying the fact that there were gaps in what the G.Os said and what was actually being delivered on the field, especially with regard to the funds, devolution of powers and so on. She recalled how in the olden days even the sarpanches used to play a predominant role in the village affairs and said that the entire panchayat raj system has now lost its sheen as they merely played an ornamental role with no powers and funds, leave alone the teeth to govern the villages. She also regretted that there were no healthy debates in the House these days with both the ruling and the opposition groups wasting their time in their game for one-upmanship.

Chennamaneni Koteswara Rao, TDP veteran and leader of the legislative party said that there was no point in beating the chest over the negative role of the bureaucracy because the elected representatives were to blame themselves for the situation. Since the elected representatives have completely compromised on their moral and ethical values without any regard whatsoever for the constitution, democratic principles, rule of law, social justice and so on, the bureaucracy has come to rule the roost, Koteswara Rao said.

It is all how we conduct ourselves in the political and the public domain to deserve their respect, he said and recalled how the chief ministers and even the ministers in the past had guts and moral stature to call a spade a spade in their discussions with chief secretaries and secretaries.

Solipet Ramachandra Reddy, former MP regretted that though as many as 29 items were ordered to be transferred to the PR bodies under the 73rd and the 74th Constitutional amendments nearly two decades ago, they still remained on paper and attributed it to the lack of political will and fair-mind in the bureaucracy to devolve the powers. He demanded the scrapping of the DRDA and vesting all powers with the ZP chairpersons, MPPs and sarpanches down the ladder for effective rural self governance.

Among the other participants were the former Assembly speaker, A. Eswara Reddy, B. Chengalrayalu, MLC, Tirupati, K. Murali, Secretary, CPI-M, Chittoor dt,. D. Sundar Ram, Founder-Director of AGRASRI welcomed.

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