Uttam calls opposition to protest against Panchayat Raj Act

Hyderabad, Jan 21: The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President N Uttam Kumar Reddy has called upon all the Opposition parties, NGOs and other public forums to launch a mass agitation against the proposed amendments to the Panchayat Raj Act.

While speaking at an all-party round-table conference at Press Club here on Saturday, Uttam Kumar Reddy said the TRS government was bringing amendments to PR Act, but it was not aimed at empowering the local bodies. The amendment, if brought, would strip local bodies of their powers and funds.

He said if TRS government was allowed to do what it was intending, then the local bodies would face a situation which would be worse than it was in erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh.

Uttam Kumar Reddy rejected the proposal of TRS government to hold indirect and partyless elections for Panchayat Raj institutions. He said that the Sarpanch elections should be direct and it should be conducted through ballot papers.

TJAC Chairman Prof M Kodandaram, BC Welfare Association president and MLA R Krishnaiah, CPI leader Chada Venkat Reddy and other leaders also spoke at the round-table conference.