Nasukarasuyama, Tochigi Pref., Oct. 14 (Jiji Press)–The assembly of a city in Tochigi Prefecture, eastern Japan, passed a resolution Wednesday protesting against remarks by agriculture minister Kazuo Yana that road budgets had been cut for two municipalities whose mayors did not support him in February’s general election. The resolution, adopted at the city assembly of Nasukarasuyama, one of the two municipalities, said that the “extremely valuable source of funding” had been reduced and called on Yana to promptly provide residents with an opportunity to hear an explanation. It called for action to dispel concerns that national budget allocations to local governments may be influenced by political positions or approaches to elections. Masanori Soma, speaker of the Nasukarasuyama city assembly, criticized Yana’s remarks for causing “misunderstanding and suspicion among residents.” The minister “should provide a full explanation to residents,” he said. Yana retracted the remarks earlier this month. The land ministry has said it received an inquiry from him in mid-February about allocations of road budgets for the two municipalities but that it was not asked by him to reduce them. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
