VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh Sarpanches Association, led by its president Vanapalli Laxmi Mutyala Rao, and Panchayat Raj Chamber chairman YVB Rajendra Prasad, on Thursday complained to the Centre that the panchayats in the State were robbed of Rs 8,660 crore and demanded an inquiry into the matter.
Over 100 sarpanches belonging to the ruling YSRC, the opposition TDP, BJP and Jana Sena, who are on the ‘Chalo Delhi’ programme, reached the national capital. The sarpanches called on Union Minister for Finance Nirmala Sitharaman and lodged a complaint against the State government that the panchayats were robbed of Rs 8,660 crore.
The sarpanches said they also met the Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, besides the Secretaries of Finance and Rural Development to lodge the complaint with all of them.
“We have explained to all of them in detail the pathetic condition of the villages, panchayats and sarpanches in Andhra Pradesh. We briefed them as to how the panchayats are unnerved and how Rs 8,660 crore funds have been diverted by the State government,” the sarpanches said.