Date:18/09/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/09/18/stories/2007091852470300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

TDP, TRS stage protest at Medak ZP meeting

Staff Reporter

Oppose granting of absolute fiscal powers to Chairman

Voice of dissent: TDP and TRS members protesting during the ZP general body meeting in Medak on Monday.

Sangareddy: Members of Telugu Desam Party staged a protest by sitting in the well of the zilla parishad conference hall and members of Telangana Rastra Samiti joined them during the general body meeting here on Monday. They were protesting against the resolution passed by the majority Congress granting absolute authority to the ZP chairman in granting funds under various schemes, particularly the Rashtriya Sama Vikas Yojana.

Immediately after the questions and answer session, the Congress members introduced the resolution and it was passed. TDP zilla parishad floor leader and Dubbaka ZPTC Bakki Venkataiah objected the resolution saying that monetary transactions must have the approval of the general body and granting the powers to chairman would lead to partisan allocation of funds. However, Chairman M. Baliah brushed aside the apprehensions of the TDP and announced that the resolution has already been passed and it could not be revoked. Protesting this, the TDP members sat in front of the podium and raised slogans against the chairman. After a while the members of TRS also joined the protest and demanded the withdrawal of the resolution.

MLA’s assurance

The protest subsided only after the intervention of Medak legislator P. Sasidhar Reddy, who convinced the TDP and TRS members that the resolution would only cut short the delay in the release of the funds as the general body meets only once in three months. He assured that the chairman would use his powers only if the funds are lapsing. The general body meeting also had its lighter part in the shape of a complaint by ZPTC member from Sivampet, that a recently suspended teacher has been harassing him by sending SMS everyday to his mobile phone asking him to revoke the suspension.

While the ZPTC wanted the Collector to intervene, it turned out that the same teacher also had been sending similar messages to the DEO Laxma Reddy, Collector B. Venkatesam and MLA Sunitha Laxmareddy.