HYDERABAD: Gram panchayats, which have been hard-pressed to access funds allocated to them, can now breathe easy. An amendment to the Gram Panchayat Raj Act, 2018 made on Thursday allows them to lodge their funds in nearby nationalised banks, co-operative banks, or post offices as prescribed by the government.
Presently, the funds received from the Union or state government are being lodged in the nearest government treasury. Successive governments in the state have been blamed for diverting these funds for other purposes leaving the panchayats high and dry.
Though the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments were intended to strengthen rural local bodies, the main aim is to bring the administration closer to the people. They need funds along with responsibilities so they were provided with the opportunity to collect some taxes, cesses and fees.
Speaking in the Assembly, Panchayat Raj & Rural Development Minister Danasari Anasuya alias Seethakka said that the amendment was made to allow the gram panchayats which procure funds to spend as per their needs. Funds have remained unutilised because of difficulty in accessing them at the right time, she said.
“Just as the central and state finance commission funds are deposited directly in bank accounts of the panchayats, money raised from their own funds will be parked in their own accounts. This facility is currently available for municipalities,” she said.
BJP seeks early polls to MPTC, ZPTC posts
Participating in the discussion, BJP’s Palvai Harish Babu sought early elections for the MPTC and ZPTC posts. “Many MPDO offices are in a dismal state, Rythu Vedikas built with NREGS funds need money for maintenance. Their upkeep is important as they are serving as centres for holding meetings with farmers,” he said.
Citing difficulty in maintaining rural roads, he stated that contractors are not coming forward to take up their maintenance as they fear panchayats will not be able to pay.
AIMIM legislator Majid Hussain sought a timeline for holding the MPTC and ZPTC polls. He recalled that the state government had delayed panchayat polls by two years and municipal elections by 13 months.
Achampet legislator Chikkudu Vamsi Krishna sought cooperation between forest and panchayat departments in laying roads in forest areas. Accepting that there is a need to change the Panchayat Act, Seethakka said that the issue of cheque power of sarpanches needs to be addressed.
