india

Updated: Apr 22, 2019 21:39 IST

A sarpanch in Telangana’s Rajanna Sircilla district on Sunday took to begging to raise money for partial payment of wages to sanitary workers in his village because the government is yet to issue an order authorising him to draw money from gram panchayat funds with cheques after it tweaked the Panchayat Raj Act.

Katakam Sridhar, who was elected as sarpanch of Gambhiraopet village in January this year, went from shop to shop in the village begging for alms. “I took whatever they gave me – from Rs 10 to Rs 500. By afternoon, I could collect Rs 12,000. I have added my own contribution to it later,” he said.

In the evening, Sridhar distributed Rs 500 to each of 38 sanitary workers, who have not been getting salaries for the last four months. “These workers have been striving day and night to keep the village clean on the occasion of Brahmotsavams (anniversary religious festivities) of Sri Sita Ramachandra Swamy temple in the village. While the village in a festive mood, these workers were not able to meet their both ends meet,” he said.

The sarpanch said he had made several representations to the government to grant powers to him to draw the money from gram panchayat funds to pay salaries to sanitary workers and other civic staff. “There are more than Rs 35 lakh in the panchayat account. Yet, we are not able to give them salaries,” he said.

Last month, Sridhar claimed, he had spent over Rs 2 lakh from his own pocket to pay partial wages to the panchayat staff. “They borrowed the money from me, saying they would return the same once they get their salary arrears. This month, I had no option but to resort to begging to mobilise little money for payment of wages to sanitary workers,” he said.

When contacted, Siricilla district panchayat officer (DPO) Vemula Sekhar said he empathises with Sridhar, but this was not an isolated case of Gambhiraopet village but that of 12,000-odd gram panchayats in the entire state.

“In the past, sarpanch and gram panchayat secretary had joint authority to sign cheques and they used to draw funds according to their needs. Last year, the government amended the panchayat raj act stating that sarpanch and upa-sarpanch would have the joint authority to sign cheques. We are awaiting a government order or a circular in this regard. Till such time, nothing is in our hands,” the DPO said.