NALGONDA: The State government has failed to sanction incentive amounts of Rs 10 lakh to gram panchayats which are elected unanimously. A total of 114 gram panchayats in Nalgonda district have elected their sarpanches unanimously in elections held oneand- a-half months ago.
Political leaders and elders of villages had come together and made efforts to enable unanimous election of sarpanches, which had helped the gram panchayats become eligible for government incentives. But no such incentives have been released till date.
Earlier, post the elections held in 2014, government had announced incentives of Rs 5 lakh for unanimous elections, and the funds were sanctioned in 2017. In the 2019 elections too the government announced incentives of Rs 10 lakh.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, tax collections are not being done in villages, which has adversely affected the development of gram panchayats, especially sanitation- related works. If State government releases the sanctioned incentives, the panchayaths can be developed and necessary amenities can be provided to villagers. Keeping this in mind, the gram panchayat sarpanches are requesting the government to sanction the release of incentives.