Hyderabad: The Telangana Rashtra Samiti government is acting contrary to the Constitutional spirit by slashing down the powers of sarpanches, Telangana unit BJP president and Karimnagar MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar said on Tuesday, noting that the central government has brought in a new law strengthening local self governing bodies across the country.
In an open letter to village sarpanches, Sanjay said that BJP is committed to the spirit 73rd and 74th amendment acts and that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has allotted maximum funds for the cause of local self governance, to achieve self reliance as envisioned by Mahatma Gandhi.
Sanjay reminded that the TRS elections manifesto in 2014 promised strengthening of Panchayati Raj institutions which were weakened and politicized in six decades of incompetent rule. However, he said that such promises were not met even after eight years of formation of separate Telangana state. Instead, the TRS government is yet again on the path to weaken the institutions while the Sarpanches are working towards development by taking loans, he added.
In the letter, Sanjay also said that the state government has 2-20 lakh pending bills per gram panchayat. He noted that while it is being said in GOs that funds have been sanctioned, the state government is freezing public accounts of sarpanches and is even threatening to suspend them. Sanjay assured that if they chose to fight for their rights, BJP would support them. He also said that it is the Centre that is providing funds for developmental projects, including 11 lakhs for Palle Pragati and constructing Vaikuntha Dhamams, 10 lakhs for Rythu Vedika, 4 lakhs for Palle Prakruthi Vanam, 2.5 lakh for construction of dump yards, 1.5 lakh for setting up of nurseries in each village panchayat.
Besides, the funds for CC roads, maintenance works, setting up LED lights on streets, employment generation and other developmental works are provided by the Centre, in partnership with the state government, Sanjay said, mentioning that while the Centre is spending 100 percent of its share, the TRS government has not yet set up the 15th commission committee to authorize that spending and is even misappropriating the given funds. This shows their commitment towards the village panchayats, he added.
Stating the non-callous attitude of the TRS government towards the death of Sarpanches and ward members due to mounting indebtedness, Sanjay requested them to not commit suicide and that the Telangana BJP unit would stand with them in need. Village sarpanches must lead a life of respect, Sanjay said, stating that the chief minister’s attitude towards them has even forced them to take up daily labor work. He added that the village panchayats in the state that have been ranked best in the country fall under the parliamentary constituency of BJP MPs.
Sanjay wrote to the Sarpanches that they have to fight for their pending bills and their rights, as they have not been elected from any particular party. He sought support from them for the silent protest against the TRS government for the rights of Sarpanches and local body representatives, which will be taken up by the Telangana BJP unit soon.
