Khammam: Tensions prevail in Singareni village

Khammam: Tension prevailed at Singareni village in Khammam district when the police was trying to foil the indefinite hunger strike of the ruling party leader K Satyanarayana who has been demanding an action against the sarpanch for swindling Rs 22 lakh along with two panchayat secretaries.

A heated argument took place leading to a fallout between the police personnel and supporters of Satyanarayana. It had started on Saturday morning. According to the sources, ward members had filed a complaint with the district collector against sarpanch A Sravanthi and secretary M Murali for misusing Palle Pragathi funds.

On the instructions of the collector, divisional panchayat officer Prabhakar Rao had conducted an inquiry and found Rs 22 lakh funds were misused. He submitted a report to the district panchayat officer 11 months ago regarding the same. But it is said that the district panchayat officer allegedly delayed in submitting the same report to the collector.

Villagers and all-party leaders put pressure and took up the agitation. Later, when the district panchayat officer himself visited the villages and witnessed the misuse of funds, the two secretaries were suspended but no action was taken against the sarpanch.

K Satyanarayana, social worker and the ruling party leader took up an indefinite hunger strike demanding an action against sarpanch. All party leaders and local youth supported his deeksha on Saturday and called for a one-day bandh in the village which evoked good response. Meanwhile, the police reached the spot and tried to shift him to the hospital, but the leaders did not allow the police to do so.