The Hindu 24.09.2010
Civic body elections after enumeration of BCs: Minister
Staff Reporter
| State Municipal Act to be amended to give 50 per cent reservation to women |
Mayor election to be discussed
New building for Rajahmundry to be sanctioned
— Photo: S. Rambabu 
Minister for Municipal Administration Anam Ramanarayana Reddy inaugurating a skating ring in Danavaipeta Park in Rajahmundry on Thursday. Mayor A. Veeraraghavamma looks on.
RAJAHMUNDRY: Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, Minister for Municipal Administration, has said that enumeration of BCs and amendments to State Municipal Act to give 50 per cent reservation to women in local bodies will be completed in next three months and immediately elections will be held to 109 municipalities and corporations in the State.
Addressing a press conference after inaugurating skating ring in Danavaipeta here on Thursday, he said that there were cases pending in High Court and one or two cases in Supreme Court on B.C. enumeration and the Chief Minister had asked the Advocate-General to look into it and clear them to conduct elections in next three months. He said that UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi was particular about providing 33 per cent reservation to women in local bodies. However former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy had decided to give 50 per cent quota to them and tried to bring amendment to the Municipal Act. Chief Minister K. Rosaiah was particular about bringing amendments and going for elections at the earliest.
Answering a question, the Minister said that the Cabinet would discuss the question of direct or indirect election for Chairman or Mayor election after considering election dates for 109 municipalities. Speaking about Property Tax Revision, he said that revision of property tax was being done first time after 17 years, but asked the municipalities to maintain rationalization in increasing the tax and not to burden the public at a time.
On the representations given by MLA, Mayor and corporators, the Minister said that his ministry will give sanction for the construction of new building for Rajahmundry Municipal Corporation and the state government will ask World Bank and Central government funds for Rs.148 crore Comprehensive Drinking Water Scheme.
Minister Pilli Subashchandra Bose, MLAs Rowthu Suryaprakash and Chandana Ramesh, Mayor Adireddy Veeraraghavamma, Collector M. Ravichandra and Commissioner K. Manikraj participated.
