Uncertainty irks people of Bhadrachalam, Sarapaka

Kothagudem: The people of two gram panchayats of Bhadrachalam and Sarapaka expressed anguish over the apathy of the State government in not giving clarity whether these two regions are panchayats or municipalities.

In 2013, the government had conducted elections for Bhadrachalam and Sarapaka panchayats treating as panchayats. After the tenure was over, the government again conducted elections to all panchayats in 2019. But they didn't conducted elections to these two panchayats. This was because the government has removed the names of these two panchayats in the list of State panchayats as these two major panchayats will be upgraded as municipalities.

Neither these two were upgraded as municipalities nor in the list of gram panchayats. Since then there is no clarity over this.

TV Ramana, a senior citizen of Bhadrachalam, asked the government, to continue Bhadrachalam and Sarapaka as gram panchayats if it is not possible to upgrade them as municipalities. He alleged that town development was stalled as no funds were coming from panchayat or municipality. The two regions were depending on tax collections only, he informed.

Another citizen K Kameswara Rao informed that in 2018 the government released Rs 4.4 crore funds to Bhadrachalam and Rs 2 crore to Sarapaka for the town development, treating as panchayats.

Later, due to dilemma of the status of the two areas, the government is not releasing funds, he pointed out. Kameswara Rao said that officially about 50,000 and unofficially about one lakh people are living in the temple town, who were suffering with various issues like no drainage, proper roads and others. He criticised that three years passed since the last panchayat elections were conducted.

Hence, along with the people of Bhadrachalam and Sarapaka appealed to the government to give clear announcement about the status of these two areas.