BJP seeks early ZP, TP polls

The BJP state executive committee meeting held here on Wednesday called upon party cadres to brace up for the polls.

Briefing reporters on the resolutions passed in the meeting, BJP spokesperson and legislator C T Ravi said the panchayat polls assume significance as they bestow power on the cadres at the grassroots.

Ravi said the executive committee complimented the state government for putting Karnataka in second place in implementation of the 20-point programme. He said the resolution hailed the High Court verdict on the Speaker’s disqualification of dissident MLAs. Expressing displeasure over the delay in construction of Aasare houses, the meeting urged the government to expedite the rehabilitation of food-victims in a time-bound manner.

UPA soft on Kashmir

The fifth resolution condemned the UPA government’s policy on Kashmir and said the Union government’s soft corner and statements strengthened the position of hardliners.  The resolution criticised AICC president Sonia Gandhi for her  remarks against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and said the statement was politically motivated. 

He said the participants at the interaction made several suggestions to the Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj on strengthening the panchayat bodies. The Minister promised to fix grant for the panchayats based on the population of the area.

Funds withheld

Ravi accused the Centre of withholding Rs 1,250 crore grant to the State for the ninth phase of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana even though the State had submitted utilisation certificate pertaining to eighth phase. He refuted the allegations that State did not chip in with its share for the project.  The state government has decided to come up with Chief Minister’s Grama Sadak Yojane with a fund allocation of Rs 500 crore to improve at least 25 kilometres of road in each Assembly constituency.