Nalgonda MP N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has found fault with the Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao questioning the release of funds directly to the local bodies by the Central Government.
At a press conference here, he reminded that late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had brought constitutional amendments to strengthen the local bodies to release funds directly to them. During the TRS rule, the local bodies have been diluted and sarpanches made irrelevant.
He said local bodies have to be financially strengthened and the release of funds directly to their accounts was justified and it was on the lines of what Rajiv Gandhi had created the PR system for. He said he would raise the issue of increasing funds to the local bodies in the next Parliament sessions.
Mr. Reddy also criticised the Chief Minister saying he had played with the future of paddy farmers and they were forced to sell paddy at a lower price to the millers with the government failing to procure it. He said the government, which bought 92 lakh metric tonnes of grain in Yasangi last year, has procured only 20 lakh metric tonnes this year till yesterday.
The poor facilities and lack of procurement centres was forcing the farmers to sell for ₹1,400 crore as against the MSP of₹1,960.
