378 gram panchayats lack own buildings in Khammam

Khammam: The State government after the successful completion of the first phase of Palle Pragathi, launched the second phase of works on Thursday. Like earlier, this time too, the officials have decided to concentrate on improving facilities in villages like taking up plantation drive, electrification works, clearing of drains, and setting up of graveyards and dumping yards. Further, to speed up the works, the government has allotted a tractor to every gram panchayat.

Before taking up the implementation of Palle Pragathi, the State government has set up new panchayats and also upgraded several hamlets into gram panchayats for decentralisation of governance. However, since then, the government has not taken any steps to build the panchayat offices in the newly-formed gram panchayats, forcing the officials to work from rented buildings.

Nearly 378 village panchayat offices are housed in rented buildings in the erstwhile Khammam district. While some village panchayats are functioning in Anganwadi centres, school buildings and veterinary office buildings, others are working from buildings that are over a hundred years and above, and almost in dilapidated condition.

With this, the village secretaries and sarpanches are not showing any interest to run the administration from those buildings and places and have been demanding the government to allot funds for the construction of new panchayat buildings for smooth administration.

Of the total 584 gram panchayats in Khammam district, nearly 178 panchayats do not have their own buildings.

And from the remaining 406 panchayats that have their own buildings, nearly panchayat offices of 81 villages are in dilapidated condition and about 55 of them are in the need of urgent repairs.

Further, around 168 newly-formed panchayats are functioning from rented premises and in temporary government buildings like schools and Anganwadi centres.

A sarpanch from the district said, "We are unable to conduct meetings with the ward members and officers concerned due to lack of proper panchayat building. As a result, we are forced to conduct meetings in government schools when the children have holidays. Despite several pleas seeking funds for construction of new panchayat buildings, no funds have been released so far. As we don't have a proper building, it has become cumbersome for the village officials to store materials like pipes, lights, wires etc used for various purposes."

Similarly, the situation in Kothagudem is no different from Khammam. Of the total 478 gram panchayats spread in 21 mandals, 164 gram panchayats have their own buildings, while 193 work from rented buildings. The remaining panchayats work from school or Anganwadi buildings.

"Even though the government is giving importance towards developing the villages and improving facilities, why is it shying away from releasing funds for the construction of gram panchayat buildings?" asked a Sarpanch, adding that it was very shameful on the part of the government to make the peoples' representatives work from rented premises. He demanded the government to immediately sanction funds for the construction of gram panchayats buildings and provide a proper place of work for the Sarpanches and other village staff.