Ongole: Sarpanches demand village secretariats' merger with panchayats

Ongole (Prakasam district): The district-level leaders of Andhra Pradesh Sarpanchula Sangam and Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj Chamber from Guntur, Prakasam and Nellore districts demanded the government to immediately revert the funds of about Rs 8,660 crores that were diverted from panchayat accounts. They further demanded merger of village secretariat system into local panchayats, and increase salaries of sarpanches, MPTCs, MPPs and ZPTCs in the State, at a roundtable meeting in Ongole on Wednesday.

Former MLC and Panchayat Raj Chamber president YVB Rajendra Prasad, chief guest at the meeting, explained that the State government, which is not sanctioning any funds to panchayats, have diverted about Rs 8,660 crores of funds sanctioned to panchayats by the 15th Finance Commission illegally. He said the panchayats have no money in their accounts, at least to perform civic duties like maintenance of sanitation, and roads, repairing drainages and supplying drinking water to the public.

Rajendra Prasad demanded the government to immediately cancel gruhasarathis and conveners, and merge village secretariats into local panchayats. Or else, Sarpanchula Sangam and Panchayat Raj Chamber will file a case against the government in the High Court, he warned. He also demanded the government to pay Rs 15,000 as an honorarium per month to sarpanches and MPTCs, and Rs 30,000 to MPPs and ZPTCs from now on.

Association advisors and sarpanches leaders G Veerabhadrachari, Cubbaramaiah, M Ramakrishna Reddy, Birru Pratap Reddy, Pagadala Ramesh and others said that they are fighting for the common demands of sarpanches, irrespective of party affiliation. They further stated that they will gather the support of all 12,918 sarpanches in the State and launch various forms of agitation until the government reverts their funds and accepts their demands.