Time to clear air on Bhadrachalam issue

Bhadrachalam: Once again, the issue of Bhadrachalam panchayat has come to the fore. Suspense still reigns whether Bhadrachalam is a panchayat or municipality.

After the High Court to a serious view of the government not holding local body elections, the issue has caught the attention of people and politicians alike.

Tribal leader and Gondwana Samkshmema Parishad Convenor Sonde Veeraiah moved a PIL in the HC, which led to issue of summons to Chief Secretary, asking for the government explanation on why Bhadrachalam panchayat polls were kept pending for the last five years.

In the PIL was filed three years ago, Veeraiah informed the court that the last election to the panchayat was held in 2013 after a gap of 30 years. As the panchayat term ended in 2018, the State government appointed Bhadrachalam sub-collector as the administrative officer and proposed to convert into a municipality. However, it did not fructify due to fears of legal issues over superseding the tribal act, it is learnt.

In the meantime, however, development of the temple town got skewed due to absence of a locally elected body to plan and oversee the growth of the town, said a senior citizen T V Raman Rao. He pointed out that Bhadrachalam which has 20 wards and a population of around 50,000 could not develop nor meet the basic needs of people. With the government not releasing any funds, local tax collections were barely sufficient to take up any development, thus leaving the town mired in a civic mess for years together. He urged government to take a call on notifying Bhadrachalam either as a municipality or a panchayat and steer it on the path of rapid progress.