Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has been winning elections consistently for the last six years and it is high time for people to puncture the ‘car’ tyre as it failed to improve functioning of the municipal bodies, says State Bharatiya Janata Party president K. Laxman, in the run up to the Urban Local Body (ULB) polls.
Do you think ULB polls is a kind of referendum for the second term TRS government?
This is not a referendum, it is more about its abysmal performance in urban areas and for not fulfilling the promises made. It has deprived municipal bodies of adequate funds and has made State Finance Commission (SFC) ineffective. The government has to explain why urban areas are in such a bad shape - roads, drains and basic civic amenities.
Where do you think the TRS government stands in administration of urban regions?
Why should people vote for TRS in municipal elections? Close to 40% population live in urban areas but what have they done to improve the ULBs and living standards? How many two bedroom houses have they constructed after promising 500-1,000 in each. The educated unemployed have been ignored with recruitment mostly in police to protect themselves. Where are the skill development centres?
What do you think of K.T. Rama Rao’s work as Municipal Administration & Urban Development Minister?
He has has utterly failed in his job. Nothing moves in municipalities without paying a bribe whether it is a birth certificate or a death certificate. Online services at the citizen services centres are not working, and even in Hyderabad, it is taking six or more months to get building permissions. In his Sircilla, the municipal chairman was openly supporting corrupt practices. There is neither transparency nor accountability in understaffed ULBs.
Where do you think the government has specifically failed in urban regions?
They promised the moon stating that all the municipal areas will have underground drainage network and will be totally open defecation free but this has not happened. Street lights don’t work and the Centre’s grants for improving sanitation and buying new buses for the TSRTC has not been taken up. Regularisation of scores of employees working as contract staff in ULBs has not materialised.
Do you think the furore over Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) will have an impact?
Local issues will gain prominence but CAA too will be part of the overall campaign. People are also closely watching the debate to understand which side each party is on the national security issues. Of course, the corruption free, welfare and development oriented record of Modi government will have some resonance.
Will you be able to repeat the Lok Sabha polls performance?
We created history in Parliament polls and won four seats contesting independently. That we are contesting 80% of seats on our own for the first time in municipal areas itself is a victory for us. We are pitted against money, muscle and liquor mafia of the ruling party, which has totally aligned with the MIM. State Election Commission too has been playing a partisan role.
