Reinstate powers to sarpanches, govt urged

Ongole: Members of Prakasam district Sarpanches Association lamented that sarpanches in the State remained as mere witnesses, who were restricted only to sign in the panchayat system. They demanded that the government must reinstate the powers to sarpanches and not to appeal on GO No 2 in the court.

Speaking at a press meet at the association office here on Wednesday, association founder-president G Veerabhadrachari said the government had issued GO No 2 appointing village revenue officers as the DDOs in the place of Panchayat secretaries and limiting the powers of sarpanches. He informed that the High Court has cancelled the unconstitutional GO No 2, when the Sarpanches Association approached it for justice. Though the GO was cancelled for four months, the government didn't issue any GO to reinstate the Panchayat secretaries as the DDOs, but it is now trying to challenge the court orders, Veerabhadrachari said.

Association president Bezawada Srirama Murthy said the government was trying to organise an unconstitutional system parallel to the Panchayat system, in the name of village secretariats by making the sarpanches and Panchayat secretaries as dummies in the State. He stated that sarpanches have become mute spectators and witnesses as the development programmes are being implemented by others, without their involvement.

Association general secretary Pagadala Ramesh, vice-president Indrasena Reddy, official spokesperson Ravella Sudhakar, Sirigiri Ramesh and others were present at the press meet.