WARANGAL: The game of one-upmanship between two MLAs has led to such a situation that the Enumamula Agricultural Market Committee (AMC) in Warangal has been forced to borrow money to pay salaries to its staff, despite the fact that the AMC is the biggest in Asia and there is no shortage of revenues. In fact, the situation is so dire that pensioners have been waiting for over six months to get their pensions; their visits to the market yard bear no fruit.
This is despite the AMC topping the market in terms of revenue collection -- up from Rs 24 crore to Rs 38 crore this financial year itself. According to sources, the AMC secretary has taken loans totalling Rs 6 crore from Narsampet, Adilabad, Jangaon and Khammam market committees over the last six months just to clear the salaries of its 297 regular and outsourced employees.
The AMC chairperson is the official authorised to release the salaries of the 297 employees, as well pensions of the retired staff. However, after the term of the chairperson expired over six months ago, the post has remained vacant. Sources blame the power play of the two MLAs, who want their dominance on the AMC for this.
With no chairperson, it has fallen on the AMC secretary to take loans from the market committees of neighbouring districts. Enumamula Market comes under the Wardhannapet and Parakal Assembly constituencies, where the MLAs of the respective segments – Aroori Ramesh and Challa Dharma Reddy -- want their loyalist to be appointed the chairperson.
When contacted, Enumamula agriculture market Secretary BV Rahul stated that the government appoints a chairperson immediately after the term of the incumbent expires. “However, for the last six months there has been no chairperson. Earlier, D Bhagyalakshmi was the chairperson and her tenure was not renewed,” he said.
Rahul said that he and his colleagues approached the Marketing department director and as per his directions submitted details to the neighbourhood market committees to facilitate loans to pay the salaries. “After the appointment of the next chairman or chairperson, the loan would be cleared,” said Rahul.
MLAs’ power play halts chairperson appointment
Enumamula Market comes under the Wardhannapet and Parakal Assembly constituencies, where the MLAs of the respective segments -- Aroori Ramesh and Challa Dharma Reddy -- want their loyalist to be appointed the chairperson. The AMC chairperson is the official authorised to release the salaries of the 297 employees, as well pensions of the retired staff.