Scrap Janmabhoomi panels, demands JP

Visakhapatnam: Lok Satta national president N. Jayaprakash Narayan has termed the Janmabhoomi committees formed by the TDP government as unconstitutional and demanded that they be scrapped.

At a press conference here on Saturday, he said duly elected bodies should be allowed to do their work.

Forming the committees to which funds were released was murdering democracy, he said.

“How would the State government react if the Centre formed Matrubhoomi committees and released funds to them instead of the State government?” Mr. Jayaprakash Narayan asked.

While NTR floated TDP in true federal spirit in defiance against the ‘dictatorial’ tendency of the Central government, he was at a loss to understand forming Janmabhoomi committees by the Chandrababu Naidu goverment setting aside duly elected local leaders.

Just as the Centre was giving 42 per cent funds to the States, funds should be given to local bodies. For every district an ombudsman -- a retired judge or a senior official -- should be appointed to ensure that there was no corruption, he suggested.

GVMC polls

He pointed out that whether it was the Congress or TDP, elections were not held for years together to the municipal corporation in Visakhapatnam. The term of the elected body to GVMC expired in 2012.

He called for strict implementation of the Supreme Court orders not to locate bars within 500 meters of the highway. Lok Satta has been demanding it for a long time. India topped in the world in deaths in road accidents and most of the victims were youth, he pointed out. Drinking in public should also be prevented and it would improve law and order and safety of women. The Lok Satta founder was here to participate in the Good Governance Yatra of Vision India Foundation.

Courtesy: The Hindu