It is not exaggerating to say that the fate of sarpanches in the TRS regime is in chaos. In one or other parts of the state, there is always someone raising rebellion against the state government. The sarpanches across the state are demanding the state release funds for the bills they paid for the welfare activities in their respective villages. Many of them spent their personal money to fulfill the needs of the villages only to wait for the money from the government. Those who took enormous debts are now struggling to pay the interests.
We heard the stories of sarpanches in Telangana selling their gold, begging for alms, and starting as the daily laborers just to pay the interests on the loans they took for the village welfare activities. Political observers say the hard times for the TRS have begun with the voice of protest being heard by its own party sarpanches. Recently, sarpanches in KCR’s own constituency raised their voice against the CM.
Rural progress reviews are currently underway across the state. The sarpanches are quite angry at the officers during these occasions. They are asking ‘how can they even survive if the government fails to pay the bills’. It was in this context that the Jagdevpur Mandal Sarpanches of the Gajwel constituency boycotted the Palle Pragati program.
The sarpanches have made it clear that they will attend the palle pratagathi events conducted in the village only when the government pays the bills and provides a special fund. Sarpanches of all the panchayats in the MPDO office at the Mandal Center raised concerns. They boycotted the village review events saying that there will be no going back until the pending bills related to the development work which was undertaken in the villages were released. The slogan ‘Let the unity of the sarpanches flourish’ was raised, and they made it clear that they won’t tolerate the government tries to tarnish their self-respect.
KCR represents the Gajwel constituency. The uprising in the CM’s own constituency itself has become a topic of discussion. It seems that the sarpanches in several zones are already preparing to resign en masse.
