Mangalagiri: Panchayat funds diverted to pay government debts, alleges TDP

Mangalagiri: Telugu Rythu State president Marreddy Srinivasa Reddy on Wednesday accused the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government of 'snatching away' Rs 344.93 crore of the 14th Finance Commission funds which were meant for strengthening the panchayat and local bodies in the State.

Srinivasa Reddy deplored that the Chief Minister had reduced the sarpanches to just puppets while misusing the village volunteers and district collectors to crush the panchayat raj system in Andhra Pradesh. Jagan has diverted the 14th Finance Commission funds to pay his government's debts instead of using them for development of rural areas.

Addressing a press conference here, the TDP leader said that the government diverted Rs 344.93 crore released by the Finance Commission in the name of electricity arrears. These funds were meant for maintenance of the drinking water supply, roads and sanitation measures in the local bodies. It was against the rules to take away the 14th finance commission funds in the name of electricity arrears.

Srinivasa Reddy termed it as an attack on the concept of 'Grama Swaraj' with the sarpanches and people's representatives in local bodies being denied powers and funds. The Jagan regime took over Rs 3,300 crore loans from the Central energy related organisations in the first phase. Citing this, the Government has now diverted Rs 344 crore of the panchayats and local bodies.

Srinivasa Reddy threatened that the TDP would launch another agitation if the Civil Supplies minister does not ensure payment of dues to the food grain farmers by the end of July. The GO No 2 was issued only to undermine the powers of panchayat bodies by passing them on to VROs. By doing so, the Chief Minister planned to make the local bodies totally dependent on the YSRCP volunteers and collectors for everything.