Demanding the abolition of Janmabhoomi committees formed contradicting the spirit of Gram Swaraj, Jana Chaitanya Vedika will organise a day-long convention on empowering local bodies on March 18.
President V. Lakshmana Reddy said at village and mandal-levels sapanch and elected representatives were overshadowed by the committees and MLAs.
Getting the benefit of any government programme including ration cards or pensions was solely at the mercy of the committees and the government employees had to toe the line of ruling party workers, Mr. Reddy told reporters here on Saturday.
Devolution of powers
Though the Chief Minister had announced the scrapping of the panels a year ago it was not implemented, he said.
The committees should be immediately abolished the local bodies strengthened with devolution of powers as per the 73rd and 74th Constitutional amendments, he said.
Former member of UPPSC K.S. Chalam said the Janmabhoomi was introduced following a successful South Korean programme. While the government was justified in taking up its agenda through a village-level programme it should not be in contravention of the Constitutional amendments.
The devolution of powers on the 29 issues vesting them with local bodies should be implemented in true spirit of decentralisation, Prof. Chalam said.
Former Vice-Chancellor V. Balamohandas, retired Chief Engineer S. Narayana Murthy Raju and advocate G. Appa Rao spoke.
