Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

Sarpanches threaten stir

By Our Special Correspondent

Hyderabad Nov. 12. Sarpanches in the State today threatened to go on agitation if the Government failed to solve their problems relating to devolution of powers and resources to gram panchayats within two days.

Leaders of the Sarpanches' Association told reporters here on Wednesday that the Minister for Panchayati Raj, N. Janardhan Reddy, had misled the public by projecting the little benefits extended to local bodies in the past as those conceded now. They said if their demands were not conceded immediately, they would launch an indefinite strike.

Their main demands include transfer of complete list of 29 subjects to gram panchayats, direct allotment of the 11th Finance Commission funds, and under different schemes such `Sarva Siksha Abhiyan,' and control over all kinds of village level staff. P. Venkatarama Reddy, president, P. Viswaswara Rao, general secretary, and others regretted that the Gandhiji's dream of gram swaraj remained unfulfilled even after 56 years of Independence. The panchayats remained impoverished with the State Government and zilla parishads/mandals virtually `hijacking and diverting' their funds and spending on other purposes.

Mr. Reddy and Mr. Rao were critical of the Minister's unhelpful attitude. They sought powers of salary-issuing and leave-sanctioning in case of anganwadi workers, DWCRA animators etc so that the system would be transparent and accountable with their personal supervision. They wanted the system of in-charge minister presiding over the DDRC meetings to go and sought the ZP chairpersons to do the job.

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