SAMBALPUR: More than three years since the death of its sarpanch, Basantpur panchayat under Sambalpur’s Dhankauda block continues to function without an elected head, with villagers alleging that it has slowed development works and affected the delivery of basic civic services.
Villagers said the post has remained vacant since April 2023 following the death of then sarpanch Sita Karali. Although a notification was issued for the bypoll and the electoral roll prepared, the election is yet to be held.
Deputy sarpanch Sasmita Rana has been discharging the responsibilities of the sarpanch. However, she said an acting sarpanch does not enjoy all the statutory powers of an elected representative, making it difficult to undertake several development works.
Panchayat samiti member Balaram Pradhan said, “The absence of an elected sarpanch has created administrative uncertainty and brought development to a standstill.” He said a large portion of the funds remains unutilised, while even routine maintenance works are suffering.
“Beneficiaries are also being deprived of Harishchandra assistance, while elected panchayat samiti members have virtually been reduced to dummy representatives,” he added.
Basantpur panchayat, which comprises 12 wards, reportedly receives around Rs 27 lakh annually for development activities. They also alleged that funds allocated under the Community Managed Sanitation Complex (CMSC) scheme have remained unspent for nearly two years.
“As deputy sarpanch, I have been trying to discharge my responsibilities, but the lack of support from officials has severely hampered development works. Pending bills for earlier projects have not been cleared by officials, and the newly-appointed panchayat executive officer is yet to join, making it difficult to carry out even routine administrative work,” Rana said.