Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad   

Campaign for more powers to local bodies

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD Aug.7. The Federation of Empowerment of Local Governments, comprising representatives of various political parties in AP, and Lok Satta will launch a campaign from August 9 to October 2 to collect one crore signatures of people in support of local government empowerment.

The campaign will be taken up in all 23 districts and the collected signatures submitted to the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, in an attempt to bring pressure on the Government to give effect to the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments, not done during last ten years.

N. Jayaprakash Narayan, convener, Lok Satta, and representatives of the TDP, the BJP and the Congress told a press conference here on Thursday that the federation, formed on February 23, had already started a campaign for genuine empowerment of local governments.

The leaders wanted the Government to transfer functions and funds in respect of subjects listed in the 11th and 12th Schedule of the Constitution. The federation would fight for the genuine empowerment of local governments so that they can truly function as the third tier of self-governments as envisaged by the Constitution and directive principles.

The Statewide campaign would be launched on August 9, the Quit India Day and end on Gandhi Jayanti during which one crore signatures would be collected. The campaign would create awareness among people that local government, be it a panchayat, mandal, zilla parishad or municipality "is constitutionally as much a Government as a State of the Union Government.''

``Only when governments are closed to the people they can be more aware and responsive to people's needs. A local Government which is closer to the citizen is definitely better than a distant, indifferent centralised Government over which they have no control.''

Chanda Lingaiah, Khammam ZPP chairman (Cong), S. Ramachandra Reddy, former TDP MP, N. Tulasi Reddy, ex-Cuddapah ZPP chairman (BJP), N. Souraiah, Nakrekallu MPP president, K. Sai Reddy, former Karimnagar ZPP chairman, D.V.V.S. Varma, secretary of the federation, were present at the press conference.

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