Bills pending, Danthalapally sarpanch works as a labourer
MAHABUBABAD: With bills worth Rs 20 lakh pending with the State government for the last two years, Danthalapally Gram Panchayat (GP) in Mahabubabad district is facing a severe financial crisis, so much so that even dealing with day-to-day issues is a challenge. The situation is so dire that the sarpanch, 32-year-old Darsanala Sushmita, who belongs to the ruling TRS, is now forced to work as an agricultural labourer to feed her family.
Sushmita contested as an independent candidate in 2019 and later joined the TRS. Speaking to TNIE, she said that it has become difficult to carry out developmental works in the village even by borrowing money. “It’s affecting our credibility and even our personal financial condition,” she said.“We took Rs 20 lakh as loan on interest from villagers to complete pending works. Now, when they ask us to return the money, we have no resources to clear the debt,” Sushmita said.
Bills of many developmental works carried out in the village are pending with the district administration and State government for two years, Sushmita disclosed. Road repairs, works under the Palle Pragathi scheme and construction of vaikunta dhamam (crematorium) were carried out at a cost of Rs 20 lakh, she said, adding that the bills for these works were submitted to the authorities concerned.
However, the bills have been pending for two years. The issue of pending bills was taken up with Tribal Welfare Minister Satyavati Rathod and she is believed to have written to the district Collector to resolve the issue, but not a single rupee has been sanctioned, Sushmita lamented.
History of such crises
Earlier in May and October this year, it was found that Vallepu Anitha Ramesh, sarpanch of Vishwanath Colony GP, and Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituency (MPTC) member Bandari Rajitha of Seethampeta GP were having to work as agricultural labourers with lakhs worth of bill pending for clearance with the State government.