By Our Special Correspondent
Sarpanchs of various districts across the state staged a protest in front of the statue of Dr. BR Ambedkar near Andhra Pradesh Bhavan in New Delhi on Wednesday, demanding that the problems faced by the sarpanches be resolved and the funds of the 15th Finance Commission be released to the gram panchayats. All India Panchayat Parishad National General Secretary Dr Jasti Veeranjaneyu said in a statement.
In the meeting held on this occasion Chilakalapudi Paparao, President of the Sarpanchs Welfare Association of Guntur, Palnadu and Bapatla Districts said that the state government has withdrawn funds from the accounts of Gram Panchayats in the name of electricity bills.
Paparao appealed to the Center to immediately release the funds to the village panchayats saying that the panchayats are not able to undertake any work for the development of the villages without funds.
He appealed to the central government to ensure that funds are provided to the gram panchayats. Paparao said that the government is spending thousands of crores of rupees on advertisements in the name of Swachh Bharat, but in reality, the salaries of Harita, ambassadors and green card holders working in rural areas have not been paid for the past one year.
They demanded the center to allocate funds for the Polavaram project, give special status to the state and stop the privatization of Visakhapatnam steel plant.
Earlier, the Sarpanchs presented a petition to Rajya Sabha members Mopidevi Venkataramana and Beda Mastan Rao on the problems in the villages.
Dr. Jasti Veeranjaneyu demanded that 29 issues be given representation to the Gram Panchayats as per the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments.
Sarpanchs T. Krishnamohan, Sambasiva Rao, Sunitha Edukondalu, Nagamani, Allabakshu, Chandra Bose, Srinivasa Reddy, Jagan Mohan Reddy, Ramaiah, Srinivasa Raju, Srikanth and Ratna Babu went to Delhi.
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