HYDERABAD: The BJP on Thursday called ‘unfortunate’ Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao dubbing as ‘chillara vyavaharam (cheap tactics)’ the Centre’s decision to transfer funds for implementing its programmes directly to gram panchayats, and not through the state treasury.
Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar led the attack on the Chief Minister with Dubbak MLA G. Raghunandan Rao joining him.
Sanjay, in a statement, said the Constitution clearly envisaged transfer of 29 subjects, including education and health, to local bodies; the Chandrashekar Rao government was refusing to give the powers to the gram panchayats.
“The Constitution is clear that beneficiary selection for ration cards, pensions, construction of houses and other schemes should be through the gram sabhas. But MLAs have been given these powers and gram panchayats turned into mere figureheads,” Sanjay said.
Demanding an apology from the Chief Minister for “slinging mud” at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Centre, Sanjay said, the Chief Minister was “siphoning off” gram panchayat funds “for the sake of commissions.”
Central funds were being misused for buying tractors and making salary payments. “Is it not true that several sarpanches had died by suicide due to non-payment of bills for development works done in the villages? Is it not true that some sarpanches sold their assets and turned into daily wage labourers, watchmen and security staff,” Sanjay asked.
Raghunandan Rao, addressing a press meet, said the Chief Minister’s “baseless comments” were aimed at tarnishing the image of the Centre. “While the father is at this, his son and minister K.T. Rama Rao tells investors in other countries to look at Telangana and not at India, while making investment decisions. Is Telangana not part of India? Does the TRS plan to start a movement to make Telangana a separate country,” he asked.
The Chief Minister had tried to make it sound as if the Centre had suddenly taken the decision to transfer funds directly to gram panchayats, he said. “This is not new. For toilet construction, funds have been coming from the Swachh Bharat programme, for CC roads the funds come from NREGS and PM Gramin Sadak Yojana, LED bulbs are bought with Central funds, funds for PHCs, subsidised rice, schools, for IKP centres and paddy purchase, all money comes from the Centre, Raghunandan Rao said.
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