Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy has announced that 50 per cent reservation to women would be implemented in the Municipal elections, which would be conducted in a few months.
Speaking after paying floral tributes to former Prime Minister late Raji Gandhi on the occasion of his 68th birth anniversary celebrations held at Gandhi Bhavan here on Monday, Kiran Kumar Reddy said that while Rajiv Gandhi had introduced 33 per cent reservations to women in Local Body elections, the UPA government under chairmanship of Sonia Gandhi increased the quota to 50 percent in Local Body elections and it would be implemented from the ensuing municipal elections.
The Chief Minister said that the women would get interest-free loans from today. He said that the 1.40 lakh women groups would get Rs 5 lakh each interest-free loan. Giving interest free loan credit goes to the Congress government only, he added. Stating that Rajiv had brought about a revolution in the Information Technology, the Chief Minister said that as a result the women were going to the fields carrying cell phone in one hand and ‘Thatta’ (basket) in another.
The country was now ably competing with developed countries like the United States of America in Information Technology because of Rajiv Gandhi’s initiate, he added. “Rajivji’s decisions were yielding fantastic results now”, he added.
PCC Chief Botcha Satyanarayana said that Rajiv Gandhi’s name inspires the youth as he brought about revolutionary changes in Information Technology.
Rajya Sabha member V. Hanumantha Rao said that Rajiv Gandhi ushered in reservations in Panchayats by amending Articles 74th and 73rd of Constitution. Stating that some political parties were promising to earmark 100 seats to the BCs, Hanumantha Rao suggested to the Chief Minister and PCC Chief to apply their mind to the issue and take appropriate action in the interests of the party and government .
Former PCC Chief D. Srinivas said that all Congress leaders have to remain united and strive to make AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi as Prime Minister after 2014 elections.
Praising Rajiv Gandhi’s mark of development, Union Minister Pallam Raju said that future generations would not forgive Congress if the present government failed to fulfill the needs of the people. AICC secretary in-charge of State affairs K B Krishna Murthy said that every one has to work for the sake of party’s rejuvenation and the party will fill the nominated posts soon.
PCC general secretary G Niranjan welcomed the gathering and MLC Kanukula Janardhan Reddy offered vote of thanks. Ministers K Jana Reddy, Ponnala Laxmaiah, Geetha Reddy, Vatti Vasanth Kumar, Danam Nagender, MPs Anjan Kumar Yadav, Rapolu Anand Bhaskar, former PCC Chief P. Narsa Reddy, MLC Rudraraju Padmaraju and others participated in the program.
–Agencies