People’s discontent against government evident in gram sabhas: BRS

Senior BRS leader criticizes Congress government for failing to address people's grievances in village 'gram sabhas'.

HYDERABAD

Senior leader of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and former minister T. Harish Rao has observed that the widespread anger, discontent and disappointment of people against the Congress government is clearly evident in the ‘gram sabhas’ being held in villages on new ration cards, Indiramma houses, Rythu Bharosa, Indiramma Athmeeya Bharosa (to farmworkers) and other welfare schemes.

Questioning of authorities by people in villages on denial of various schemes that they were getting in the past was the clear indication that Congress rule was not a ‘praja palana’ (people’s rule) as claimed by the government but anti-people rule. With the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister and several other Ministers busy touring other countries and States, there was nobody to listen/address the woes of people.

“While the officials were holding gram sabhas with much fanfare, the elected representatives of the ruling party were making statements that only party supporters would receive government scheme benefits, creating confusion among people. In that case, what was the need to hold gram sabhas as it would serve only the purpose of biding time,” the BRS leader said.

The irresponsible statements of the ruling party’s leaders had put the officials in a dilemma and pushed them to a position wherein they were unable to give any assurance to the people.

The government had been registering cases against BRS leaders and activists who had been questioning the government’s failures and non-implementation of promises made, including the six guarantees, he said and sought to know whether cases would be booked against people too for questioning officials in gram sabhas.

Speaking separately at a press conference here, former minister Koppula Eshwar, former MLA K. Chander, former Corporation chairpersons S. Ravinder Singh, D. Balaraj Yadav, L. Bapu Reddy too criticised the government for not even giving assurance on addressing the grievances being raised by people at gram sabhas.