Empowerment of local governments Makes Praja Patham redundant - Lok Satta

If only the State Government had empowered local governments, there would have been no need for Ministers, MPs and State legislators visiting villages in hot summer in the name of addressing people’s problems.

Commenting on ‘Praja Patham’ launched by the Government all over the State, the Lok Satta Party said in a statement that successive governments in the State had emasculated local governments, denied them the powers, responsibilities and resources they are entitled to under the 73rd and 74th Constitutional amendments and focused on centralizing powers at the State level.

‘Praja Patham’ is an eloquent testimony to concentration of power in the hands of the State Government at the cost of local governments,” said Mr. Katari Srinivasa Rao, G. Raja Reddy and Mr. V. Vijayender Reddy, party spokespersons in the statement.

The Lok Satta Party, however, called upon its cadres to take part in ‘Praja Patham’ since it still provided a forum for redressal of local problems. It wanted them to pin down people’s representatives for devolution of powers, responsibilities, resources and personnel on local bodies. They should draw the attention of officials and people’s representatives to the havoc belt shops are causing, the irregularities in implementation of Government schemes like NREGS, and grant of pensions, houses and ration cards.