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‘Scrap GOs 271, 272’

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‘Scrap GOs 271, 272’
‘Scrap GOs 271, 272’

Hyderabad, Sept 24 :

 All-party leaders on Thursday demanded the state government withdraw its orders GOs 271, 272 empowering the district in-charge Ministers to allot works under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (NREGS). The leaders from various political parties cutting across party lines—Tdp, PRP, Lok Satta, CPI, CPM submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister, K Rosaiah, stating that the GOs were violative of the spirit of the 73rd and 74th Constitutional amendments and they had been issued to “empower” the Congress leaders with an eye on the ensuing local bodies’ elections.

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The leaders also submitted a memorandum to Panchayat Raj Minister Botcha Satyanarayana and Rural Development Department secretary K Raju. CPI State secretary K Narayana, CPI (M) State secretary B V  Raghavulu, Tdp senior leader B Gopalakrishna Reddy, PR official spokesman D Sravan Kumar and Lok Satta spokesman K Srinivas Rao were in the all-party delegation. Later, talking to newsmen, they alleged that the government was trying to convert the NREGP into “Congress workers employment guarantee scheme” by issuing such orders.

Dr Narayana suspected that the government was preparing ground for entrusting works pertaining to rural roads, drainage and other sectors, involving an estimated Rs 700 crore, to Congress leaders and cadres. Empowering district in-charge Ministers to allot the works would dilute the powers of the local bodies besides giving scope for various irregularities.

Mr Raghavulu said that while it was mandatory to spend amounts earmarked for NREGP on workers, the government was trying to divert the funds for purchase of construction material. This would, in turn, give scope to Congress leaders to indulge in irregularities in the purchase of cement, steel and other material.