AP sarpanches on 'Chalo Delhi' seeking funds
Sarpanches leaving for Delhi at Vijayawada railway station on Monday
Vijayawada (NTR District): Demanding release of funds of 15th Finance Commission to gram panchayats and help for the development of new State of Andhra Pradesh among other problems, sarpanches of various districts across the State left for New Delhi from here on Monday.
The sarpanches intended to meet the Union Minister of Panchayat Raj and officials, members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
Before boarding the train at railway station here, the sarpanches told the media that gram panchayats have no funds even to spray bleaching powder on the rain-soaked roads and to clear the debris caused by the recent floods.
National secretary of Akhila Bharat Panchayat Parishad and chairman of Andhra Pradesh State Panchayat Parishad Dr Jasti Veeranjaneyulu led the 'Chalo Delhi Yatra' by sarpanches.
He said that several Panchayats have zero balance accounts after the State government took away panchayat funds in the name of electricity bills leaving the panchayats high and dry.
Moreover, the 15th Finance Commission funds, which were supposed to be released in April this year, were not yet released. Power connections to sizable number of village panchayats and government offices and even to water tanks were disconnected, which resulted in no water supply to villagers.
Dr Veeranjaneyulu said the sarpanches would call on the Union Minister of Panchayat Raj and others on August 3 and 4 demanding release of funds to village panchayats.
Sarpanches Ch Papa Rao, T Krishna Mohan, Sambasiva Rao, Allabakshi, Nagamani, A Sambasiva Rao, Jagan, Srikanth, Chandrabose, Ratnam, Srinivasa Rao, Nagaraju, Suresh, Sudhakar, Bandarulanka sarpanch P Sunita and others left for Delhi on Monday.