Sarpanches in Telangana upset over inaccessible funds

Around 12,721 sarpanches in Telangana vented out their frustration over funds during the Telangana State Sarpanches Forum meeting. The sarpanches met before the forum irrespective of their party affiliations and decided to approach the government to allow them to draw funds.

The sarpanches have not given the access yet to draw the funds even five months after the elections. It is learned that the bank accounts were frozen before the elections. However, the procedure to draw funds for the development of villages is not yet started.

Though the sarpanch and Upa sarpanch were given the joint cheque power, it has not come into reality.

Unable to fulfil the needs of gram panchayat, Phani Shashank Palavajala, sarpanch of Donthi of Shivampet mandal in Medak tweeted to the TRS working president KTR expressing his angst.

Phani who won independently is also the spokesperson of Telangana State Sarpanches Forum. He said that he has been paying the salaries of the staff for the last five months from his own resources. "Once the funds are made available, I can claim the money back, but the situation is bad in other gram panchayats," said Phani, a degree holder in civil engineering.