Hyderabad: On Sunday, BRS leader T Harish Rao urged the government to allocate funds to the Panchayat Raj department. He emphasized the need to improve village sanitation, clear outstanding bills for former Sarpanchas and Panchayat secretaries, and make outsourced Panchayat Secretaries permanent.
Harish Rao sent a letter to Panchayati Raj Minister Danasari Anasuya (Sitakka). He mentioned that the previous BRS government, under K Chandrasekhar Rao, had appointed 9,350 junior Panchayat Secretaries in 2019 to boost village development. These secretaries followed government guidelines and contributed significantly to the progress of Gram Panchayats. With timely fund allocations and efforts from local representatives, Telangana’s villages became exemplary in development.
However, since the Congress government took charge, Rao claimed conditions have worsened. The absence of fund releases has halted Gram Panchayat development, deteriorated sanitation, and left villages without street light maintenance. He noted that tractors provided by the BRS government are now returned to officials as villages can’t afford diesel or pay taxes.
Rao presented several demands, urging immediate action. He called for the release of funds for Gram Panchayats and settling unpaid bills for former Sarpanchas and Panchayat secretaries. He emphasized the need to regularize outsourced Panchayat Secretaries as Junior Panchayat Secretaries, as stated in the ‘Abhayahastam’ manifesto. Special village drives during the rainy season were also suggested to control seasonal diseases and enhance sanitation.
He highlighted that sanitation workers have not received salaries for three months, demanding immediate payment of their dues. Additionally, Rao expressed disappointment over unpaid salaries for data entry operators who conducted a household survey last November and insisted on their immediate salary release.
