HYDERABAD: BRS working president KT Rama Rao on Wednesday expressed concern over the deteriorating governance in villages and towns since the Congress formed the government in the state.
In a statement issued here, Ram Rao lamented that the administration in villages has collapsed, while towns are suffering from severe mismanagement. “The neglect of sanitation and drainage maintenance has turned living conditions in the villages into a daily struggle,” he said .
The BRS leader noted that the lack of funds for even basic needs like mosquito control has led to a surge in deadly diseases such as dengue and malaria, causing great distress among the people. He criticised the government for not releasing funds to the panchayats.
Expressed his anger over the failure of both the Union and state governments, he demanded that the required funds be released immediately to the local bodies. “Non-release of funds is nothing but playing with the lives of the people in villages,” he said.
Rama Rao said that even after eight months, bills related to works carried out by sarpanches have not been cleared, pushing them into severe debts and uncertainty. He claimed that during the BRS rule, Rs 275 crore used to be released every month to panchayats.
He condemned the Congress government for “harassing” over 1,800 former sarpanches with coercive measures and illegal arrests for merely asking for the clearance of pending bills.
The BRS leader demanded an explanation from the government as to when Rs 500 crore received from the 15th Finance Commission would be disbursed to the gram panchayats. He also demanded answers regarding the diversion of Rs 2,100 crore Central funds from schemes like the Employment Guarantee Scheme and the Health Mission.
He asked the government about the accumulated electricity dues amounting to Rs 4,305 crore in 12,769 panchayats. He criticised the Congress leaders for their neglect of villages, which are considered the backbone of the nation. He pointed out that while “governance in villages has collapsed, towns are grappling with a severe crisis under the Indiramma rule”.
Insufficient allocations affecting municipalities
Rama Rao also claimed that due to lack of funds for municipal corporations and municipalities, the most urgent repairs could not be carried out in the urban local bodies. He questioned how the government plans to address the issue of pending bills exceeding Rs 1,200 crore in municipalities and what it intends to do about the dilapidated roads and overflowing drainage systems.
He also expressed concern over the dire situation in Greater Hyderabad and other corporations, where even the payment of wages to workers has become impossible due to insufficient budget allocations. He said that even municipal contractors were preparing for protests if their dues are not cleared by August 15.
Rama Rao wanted the state government to explain why the villages and towns, which thrived during the 10-year BRS rule, are now plunged into crisis. He stated that this situation is a glaring example of the Congress’ incompetence and administrative failures. He warned the government not to forget that the Telangana society is closely observing their inefficiencies.
When will Rs 500 cr central funds be disbursed to panchayats?
Rama Rao demanded an explanation from the government as to when Rs 500 crore received from the 15th Finance Commission would be disbursed to the gram panchayats. He also demanded answers regarding the diversion of Rs 2,100 crore Central funds from schemes like the Employment Guarantee Scheme and the Health Mission. He asked the government about the accumulated electricity dues amounting to Rs 4,305 crore in 12,769 panchayats.