Bhadrachalam GP refuses garbage collection in Mada streets of Bhadradri temple

In a recent letter to the temple EO L Rama Devi, the gram panchayat (GP) secretary Ch Srinivas Rao stated that the GP is not able to maintain cleanliness in the Mada streets and the Devasthanam officials have to make their own arrangements for garbage collection.

Kothagudem: Sri Seetha Ramachandra Swamy Devasthanam administration and Bhadrachalam gram panchayat are at loggerheads over maintaining sanitation in Mada streets of the temple.

In a recent letter to the temple EO L Rama Devi, the gram panchayat (GP) secretary Ch Srinivas Rao stated that the GP is not able to maintain cleanliness in the Mada streets and the Devasthanam officials have to make their own arrangements for garbage collection.

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The GP secretary noted that since Bhadrachalam town has been expanding, with shortage funds and staff it has become to maintain cleanliness in the colonies in the town. As the revenue from shops in Mada streets and Vista complex goes to the temple the GP is not able to bear the sanitation costs near the temple.

The GP staff was collecting garbage at the temple since 2017. Since the temple has been allotted a sanitation inspector and a tractor, the temple authorities have to look after garbage collection around the temple as well as at Nityannadana Satram and kitchen, where prasadams are being made, he suggested.

The development came in the backdrop of the EO’s complaint to the Pollution Control Board last year about that smoke burning of garbage by the GP workers on the embankment of river Godavari was causing inconvenience to the devotees.

The GP was also prevented from collecting parking fees on the temple premises recently. In addition to that the temple has not obtained permission from the GP to construct queue like sheds.

It looks like the GP secretary wants to settle the score with the temple EO. The secretary Srinivas Rao has also said that since 2018 at the directions of the district Collector the gram panchayat has been spending money on making arrangements for Mukkoti Ekadasi and Sri Rama Navami celebrations.

But the money was not reimbursed and temple authorities should reimburse the money the GP spent for the past six years, he added.