Telangana Sarpanch Sangham demands government to clear pending bills

Not just in Hyderabad, former Sarpanches in different areas across the State were arrested and were being prevented from staging protests

Hyderabad: Former Sarpanches from across the State are staging protests yet again demanding the Congress government to clear the pending bills and have condemned the illegal arrests by the police.

Many former Sarpanches had assembled at a hotel in Banjara Hills on Sunday and wanted to submit a representation to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.

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However, the police reached the hotel on Monday morning and prevented them from heading towards the Chief Minister’s residence. The police have also taken many former Sarpanches into custody.

Not just in Hyderabad, former Sarpanches in different areas across the State were arrested and were being prevented from staging protests. The Sarpanches Joint Action Committee has been demanding the government to clear the pending bills that have been long due.

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 the Martyrs Memorial opposite the Secretariat. On both the occasions, the police had taken 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?” Sarpanch Sangham president GLN Reddy asked in a statement.

“The State government should immediately release Rs 1,500 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.