Sarpanches stage protest against alleged diversion of funds

Funds were taken from Panchayat accounts without their permission, they say

The members of Andhra Pradesh Panchayatiraj Chamber launched a protest in Kurnool on Tuesday alleging that the State government had diverted 14th and 15th Finance Commission grants from their accounts for other purposes.

Resorting to begging as a form of protest, sarpanches from 200 panchayats in the district gathered at the Gandhi Statue on the Zilla Parishad premises and fanned out to various colonies and main roads of the city.

The chamber general secretary Birru Pratap Reddy called the action of the government ‘dictatorial’ that goes against the interests of the people and development.

Conveners of the chamber in Kurnool and Nandyal districts Haritha Reddy and Srinivas Yadav said that the State government must immediately return all the funds that were taken from the panchayat accounts “without their permission”.

Addressing a gathering, Mr. Pratap Reddy said that the sarpanches of all the 12,918 gram panchayats would hold special meetings and sessions to pass a resolution seeking reversal of funds, and send copies of the same to the Governor and Prime Minister.

“We will hold grama sabhas and tell people about what the government is doing. We will stop implementation of all government programmes in the days to come if necessary, “ he said.

If the situation does not improve, the sarpanches plan to organise a “Chalo Delhi” programme also to highlight their plight.