Andhra Pradesh: Curtailment of sarpanches' powers draws Congress flak

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee criticised the state government for curtailing the powers of village sarpanches by issuing the GO No 2 which is against the spirit of the 73rd Constitutional amendment and the Panchayat Raj Act.

APCC working president Dr N Tulasi Reddy in a statement here on Monday said that the latest government order would weaken the panchayat raj system and threatens its existence.

The GO No 2 would bring 15,004 village secretariats, its 1.34 lakh staff and 2.66 lakh volunteers under the fold of revenue department which in essence amounts to bringing under the state government. The salaries, grant of leave of absence, would be handled by the village revenue officers (VROs).

As a result, the sarpanches would remain nominal without any control over the secretariats. "The sarpanches could be described as the sixth finger without any use," he said.

He exhorted the sarpanches to fight if they any self-respect for their rights. It would be better if they boycotted the swearing-in ceremony as sarpanches or submit their resignations, he said.

Referring to the statement of the Chief Minister of neighbouring Telangana that if people sell one acre of land in Telangana they could purchase two acres in Andhra Pradesh, Dr Tulasi Reddy said that it was painful to note the sarcasm in the statement. He wondered whether Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy was feeling humiliated with the comment. It is amply clear that Telangana was developed of late whereas Andhra remained backward.

He advised the Chief Minister to stop vindictive politics and start developing the state with progressive politics.