In one year, Panchayats in Telangana have witnessed contrasting situations

The previous BRS government launched the Palle Pragathi programme in which Rs.13,528 crore were spent for development programmes. Every gram panchayat was equipped with a tractor, tanker and trolley. The Congress government scrapped it and took up Swacchadanam – Pacchadanam but no funds are being released

Hyderabad: In one year, many panchayats are witnessing contrasting situations in the State. Till 2023 end, the gram panchayats in Telangana were reaping awards at national level for their services and provision of basic amenities in the villages. And, during the last one year, former Sarpanches have been staging protests demanding the State government to clear pending bills and panchayats were struggling to take up basic works.

The BRS government had launched the Palle Pragathi programme in 2018. Since then a whopping Rs.13,528 crore were spent towards taking up different development programmes. Every gram panchayat in the State was equipped with a tractor, tanker and trolley for taking up different works.

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As part of the programme, nurseries were set up, segregation of dry and wet waste and manufacturing of vermicompost through waste was taken up, Palle Prakruthi Vanams and crematoriums were also established in the villages.

All these initiatives aided in comprehensive development of villages and special focus was laid on hygiene. The Palle Pragathi programme helped in reaping a rich haul of awards for the State.

In 2022, as many as 19 villages had bagged the national panchayat awards in the annual awards announced by the union Ministry of Rural Development. In the National Panchayat Awards 2024, only Chillapalli gram panchayat won the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar from the State.

Congress government launches Swacchadanam – Pacchadanam

The Congress government had sidelined the Palle Pragathi programme and launched the “Swacchadanam – Pacchadanam” programme.

Further, the term of Sarpanches ended in January this year. Since February Special Officers have been appointed by the government and entrusted with the task of gram panchayats functions. But, the conditions in villages have changed a lot.

According to an office bearer of Telangana Sarpanches Association Joint Action Committee, many panchayats were finding it difficult to execute basic works, including sanitation, watering to saplings, besides payment of salaries to staff.

Since last one year, the former Sarpanches have been staging protests demanding the State government to clear the pending bills. One such protest was staged on Friday and as a symbolic gesture, representations were submitted to Mahatma Gandhi statues across the State by the former Sarpanches.

They argue that while the government was clearing bills worth crores of contractors, their pending bills of about Rs.700 crore were being delayed. The pending bills of former sarpanches triggered heated arguments between the Congress and BRS members in the Assembly recently.

Former Minister Harish Rao had raised the issue in the Assembly and Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister D Anasuya replied that as on November 1, 2024, the total pending bills amounted to Rs.691.93 crore. She even blamed the BRS government for the pending bills and charged that the past government failed to clear them.

Countering her charges, former Minister T Harish Rao reminded that the BRS government had paid Rs.275 crore every month to panchayats. Had the Congress government continued the practice, there would not have been any pending bills, he said.

Further, the former Minister had specifically asked the PRRD Minister as to when the pending bills would be cleared. In reply, the Minister had said that they would be cleared at the earliest. In protest against the government’s failure to clear bills and poor response, the BRS members had even walked out of the Assembly.