Andhra Pradesh State Convention

Federation for Empowerment of
Elected Women Representatives in Local Governments

April 3, 2005
Jeevan Jyothi, Begumpet
Hyderabad

The AP State Federation for the Empowerment of Elected Women Representatives (EWRs) in Local Governments (hence forth, 'The Federation') hereby passes the following resolutions:

1. Local governments must be vested with their due funds, functions and functionaries.
   More than a decade has passed since the adoption of the landmark 73rd and 74th amendments to our Constitution. Two rounds of elections to local governments also have been conducted during this period. Still, local governments have been deprived of genuine, meaningful and constitutionally mandated funds, functions and functionaries. Even those government orders issued by specific state government departments, that are apparently related to the transfer of functions, have merely provided for 'review and advisory powers' to local governments and consequently, real decision-making powers are yet to be transferred to the local governments. The present government, upon its assumption of power, had promised to ensure the genuine transfer of powers to local governments, but has not yet taken any significant and meaningful steps in this direction.
2. All items reserved for the Panchayats and Municipalities, as listed under the 11th and 12th schedules of the Constitution, and all governments departments - of a district level and below - that are concerned with these items, must be transferred to the local governments.
3. 50% of the Plan Funds in the state governments' Annual Budget must be allotted to the local governments. District-wise budgeting must be prepared and announced. There must be clear and specific distribution and division of funds, functions and functionaries among the various tiers of district-, mandal-, village-panchayats and municipalities.
4. The District Rural Development Authority (DRDA) must be merged with the Zilla Parishad.
5. District Planning Commission (DPC) must be constituted of elected local government representatives.
6. Steps must be taken to ensure that the members, councilors, corporators of Village panchayats, Mandal Parishads, Zilla Parishads and Municipalities are entrusted with clearly delineated functions and responsibilities.
7. Instead of single-term, rotating reservations for women, reservations must continue for two consecutive terms in a territorial constituency.
8. In order that corruption and malpractices in the functioning of local governments are curbed, an impartial and effective Ombudsman system must be created in every district.

This Convention of The Federation requests the state government to take immediate action on the above items.