In order to check corruption, horse-trading and ensure accountability, Karimnagar Mayor S. Ravinder Singh has stressed the need for direct election of mayors and chairpersons in urban local bodies in the ensuing elections in the State.
Talking to newsmen here on Tuesday, the Mayor said that the Municipal Corporation of Karimnagar (MCK) had passed a unanimous resolution urging the State government to conduct direct elections to all the municipal chairpersons and mayors in the State. “At the special budget session of MCK conducted on Saturday, the Municipal Council had passed the resolution seeking direct elections to all municipal bodies,” he stated and added that the resolution would be submitted to the government also.
Mr. Ravinder Singh, who is also president of State Mayors and Municipal chairpersons, said that the direct elections would check corruption and ensure accountability.
Avoid horse-trading
Besides, it would avoid “camp politics” and avoid horse-trading of councillors and corporators, he said and added that the indirectly elected the chairpersons and mayors were forced to succumb to pressures due to blackmailing politics.
He also opined that the officials of various municipalities would have confidence in the directly-elected chairpersons and mayors and would exercise their duties without any interference. He said that he would also meet Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and submit a memorandum in this regard.
With regard to the maiden visit of TRS working president K. Taraka Rama Rao to Karimnagar town on Wednesday to participate in the preparatory meeting for Parliament elections, he said that they had decided to organise a grand welcome to the party working president by mobilizing a large gathering. Exuding confidence that TRS candidate B. Vinod Kumar would win from Karimnagar Parliament constituency with a thumping majority, he said that the TRS would play a crucial role in the ensuing coalition government at the Centre. TRS leaders A. Ashok, Micheal and others were also present.