BJP sounds bugle for panchayat elections

Warangal: In the run-up to gram panchayat elections, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has planned to reach out to the public with details of the Centre’s funding towards rural development.

All the district units of erstwhile Warangal district are gearing up to prepare the data on central funds under various schemes implemented at grassroots level. At the same time, the party is also intending to expose the State government’s failure to contribute its part to village development.

This decision has been taken by the party high command in the wake of recent remarks made by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, who accused the Centre of not passing on the funds and not giving more powers to the states.

Speaking to The Hans India here on Monday, Warangal Urban district president Rao Padma informed that banners will be put up in gram panchayats (GP) and pamphlets containing village-wise and mandal-wise release of funds distributed to the villagers from June 25 onwards.

The main objective of the campaign is to both to educate the villagers about the Centre’s contribution and creating awareness on how the State government has been diverting them. ‘We will ask the public in villagers to question the ruling party leaders about the spending of funds released by the Sentre,’ she said.

Padma felt that the TRS government, which failed to give any funds to the gram panchayats and taking away the powers of sarpanches and other local bodies, has no moral right to question the Centre on devolution of funds and powers.

About 90 per cent of the funds the gram panchayats receiving are from the Centre alone. The Centre contributes to Haritha Haram, Food for Work Scheme, NHRM and many others but the State government failed to grant a single penny to the gram panchayats in the State in the last four years, Padma noted.

“For instance, 104 gram panchayats in seven mandals in Warangal Urban district received Rs 37 crore under NREGS, Rs 7.77 crore under Swachh Bharat, Rs 6.6 crore under Haritha Haram, Rs 29 crore under 14th Finance Commission,” she explained adding ‘This will be explained to the public’.

The Centre gives Rs 5 per sapling planted under Haritha Haram programme per month to water it and take care of it. Yet a large number of plants withered as the funds are not spent properly. There are no accounts on saplings planted and those survived, she lamented.

The party is also reaching out to the public explaining the achievements of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s four years rule as part of Vishisht Sampark Abhiyan. The party MLC N Ramchander Rao has recently interacted with intellectuals in the district as part of the abhiyan, Padma informed.