Villages and Towns in Disarray under Indiramma Rule: KTR

Hyderabad: BRS working president KT Rama Rao on Wednesday alleged that the villages and towns in Telangana were in disarray in the Indiramma rule.

Rama Rao alleged that the administration in villages had collapsed, while towns were suffering from severe mismanagement. The neglect of sanitation and drainage maintenance has turned living conditions in the villages into a daily struggle. KTR noted that the lack of funds for even basic needs like mosquito control has led to a surge in deadly diseases such as dengue and malaria, causing great distress among the people. He criticized the government for not releasing funds to the panchayats, resulting in this dire situation.

KTR expressed his anger over the failure of both the central and state governments to release the necessary funds, leading to a severe crisis in the management of panchayats. He questioned whether this is what governance means—playing with people's lives by withholding essential funds from panchayats.

He pointed out that even after eight months, bills related to past works have not been cleared for sarpanches, plunging them into severe debt and uncertainty. KTR reminded that during the BRS rule, Rs. 275 crore was consistently released every month to panchayats. He condemned the Congress government for harassing over 1,800 former sarpanches with coercive measures and illegal arrests for merely asking for the clearance of pending bills. KTR demanded an explanation from the government on when the Rs. 500 crore received from the 15th Finance Commission would be disbursed to the gram panchayats. He also demanded answers regarding the diversion of Rs. 2,100 crore of central funds from schemes like the Employment Guarantee Scheme and the Health Mission.

KTR questioned the government about the accumulated electricity dues amounting to Rs. 4,305 crore in 12,769 panchayats. He criticized the Congress leaders for their neglect of villages, which are considered the backbone of the nation. He pointed out that while governance in villages has collapsed, towns are grappling with a severe crisis under the Indiramma rule.

KTR further criticized the government for the lack of funds for municipal corporations and municipalities, stating that not even the most urgent repairs can be carried out due to the complete financial paralysis of municipalities. He questioned how the government plans to address the pending bills exceeding Rs. 1,200 crore in municipalities and what it intends to do about the dilapidated roads and overflowing drainage systems that are causing daily hardships for the public.

He also expressed concern over the dire situation in Greater Hyderabad and other municipal corporations across the state, where even the payment of wages to workers has become impossible due to insufficient budget allocations. He questioned the government on its ability to resolve the grievances of municipal contractors, who are preparing for protests if their dues are not cleared by August 15th.

KTR called on the Congress government to explain why the villages and towns, which thrived during the ten-year BRS rule, are now plunged into crisis as soon as Congress assumed power. He stated that this situation is a glaring example of the Congress' incompetence and administrative failures. He warned the government not to forget that the Telangana society is closely observing their inefficiencies.