Successive governments usurped the powers of Gram Panchayats: Somu Veerraju

The BJP should fight against this injustice being meted to the local bodies, its State president exhorted the cadres

BJP State president Somu Veerraju said successive governments in Andhra Pradesh (A.P.) have usurped the powers of village sarpanches and alleged that the present dispensation diverted ₹7,800 crore sanctioned by the Central government for the Gram Panchayats.

The BJP should fight against this injustice being meted to the local bodies, he exhorted the cadres. 

Addressing a meeting of the party’s Shakti Kendras at Pamarru in Krishna district on March 2, Mr. Veerraju said a substantial chunk of the ₹12,000 crore disbursed under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in FY 2021-22 went to A.P. but the State government would not give due credit for it to the Centre. 

He said implementation of the Public Distribution System would not be possible without Central financial support. Mr. Veerraju said farmers were in dire straits under the YSR Congress regime even as the Centre ensured MSP for paddy and took other market intervention measures.

“I am ready for a debate on the financial assistance being given by the Centre for overall development of the State”, he said, challenging the government to prove him wrong. Party leaders B. Siva Narayana, B. Srinivasa Varma, Kumara Swamy, M. Prasad and others were present.