Sarpanches’ bodies discuss panchayat issues with Min

The leaders of the Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj Chamber and the Gram Sarpanches Associations met with the Minister of State for Rural Development and Communications, Pemmasani Chandrasekhar, at his office in Guntur on Saturday. The meeting focused on addressing various issues related to Gram Panchayats, and a formal representation was handed over to the minister.
During the discussions, the leaders urged Minister Chandrasekhar to take immediate action to recover Rs. 10,441 crore in funds allocated by the 14th and 15th Finance Commissions, which they alleged had been diverted by the previous government. They emphasized the need to return these funds to the Gram Panchayats to support essential local development. Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj Chamber President and former MLC, YVB Rajendra Prasad, highlighted the critical importance of these funds for the 3.5 crore people residing in the state’s 12,918 Gram Panchayats.
Rajendra Prasad pointed out that the central government had consistently released Rs. 10,441 crore over five years to Gram Panchayats, Mandal Parishads, and Zilla Parishads. However, he claimed that the previous YSRCP government had diverted these funds for its own schemes without informing even a single Gram Sarpanch, resulting in stalled development in villages over the past five years.
He requested that Minister Chandrasekhar ensure the return of the diverted funds to the Gram Panchayats’ bank accounts. Additionally, he urged the minister to recommend to the Chairman of the 16th Finance Commission that future funds be distributed in a 50:25:25 ratio to ensure equitable allocation among Gram Panchayats, Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTCs), and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTCs).
The leaders also proposed that funds from the Upadhi scheme be allocated in a 90:10 ratio for village development and that Upadhi scheme staff be placed under the control of Mandal Parishads and Gram Panchayats.
The meeting was attended by AP Panchayat Raj Chamber General Secretary Birru Pratap Reddy, Vice Presidents A Ramakrishna and G Vasudha, Sarpanches Association State Vice President J Kondaiah, and other prominent leaders