Now, former Sarpanches in Telangana protest against Congress government, get arrested

Police reached the hotel where the former Sapanches assembled, and prevented them from heading towards the Chief Minister’s residence. The police also took of them into custody.

Hyderabad: After farmers, job aspirants, teachers, students, home guards, police constables and their families, now former Sarpanches from across the State are staging protests yet again demanding that the Congress government to clear pending bills.

Many former Sarpanches had assembled at a hotel in Banjara Hills here on Sunday and wanted to submit a representation to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. However, the police reached the hotel on Monday morning and prevented them from heading towards the Chief Minister’s residence. The police also took many former Sarpanches into custody. Not just in Hyderabad, former Sarpanches in different areas across the State were arrested and prevented from staging protests. Monday was not the first time that the sarpanches tried to protest. Under the aegis of the Sarpanches Joint Action Committee, they have been demanding for the last several months that the government to clear the pending bills that have been long due.

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On September 13, they had staged protests at the Panchayat Raj Commissioner’s office and raised slogans against the Congress government. Similarly, on September 23, they staged protests at Martyrs Memorial opposite the Secretariat. On both the occasions, the police had prevented them from intensifying the protests and took them into custody.

“The Sarpanches are being prevented from approaching the Chief Minister and seeking funds for clearing bills that have been long due. Is this the Praja Palana the Congress promised?” Sarpanches Sangham president GLN Reddy asked in a statement.

“The State government should immediately release Rs.1500 crore to clear the pending bills. Many Sarpanches executed several development works in respective gram panchayats investing their personal money and raising loans. Many of them are finding it difficult to repay the loans and interests,” he said.

“The government should immediately release the Sarpanches who have been arrested across the State. The government should conduct the panchayat elections only after clearing the pending bills,” Reddy demanded.