BRS senior leader Thanneeru Harish Rao wrote letter to Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister Seethakka highlighting the various problems plaguing Telangana villages. Underlining the persisting neglect of Panchayaths in Congress rule, Harish Rao urged Minister Seethakka to immediately address the issues.

“During BRS rule we had strengthened Panchayats with various initiatives and ensured utmost quality of life and prosperity in Telangana villages. About 9,350 junior Panchayat secretaries were appointed and every village was provided with sanitation vehicles to ensure cleanliness. We had even focused on greenery and released funds for Panchayats without delays. As a result Panchayats prospered under KCR rule,” wrote former Minister and senior MLA Harish Rao, alleging that Congress Government has undone the good work done by previous BRS Govt.

“As Congress Government failed to release funds, Panchayat Secretaries and outgoing Sarpanches, have taken up essential works with their own money and through borrowings. But Government’s delay in releasing these funds, is putting serious mental pressure on them. As a result, even basic facilities like street lights, sanitation services are also getting affected in villages. Govt should immediately release the pending dues and ensure that, atleast basic facilities are unaffected in the villages,” further wrote Harish Rao.

Harish Rao pointed out the pathetic situation in villages, saying that even tractors provided by BRS government to each village for sanitation purpose, have been parked idle as there is not even money for diesel and RTA tax to use them.

Harish Rao signed off the letter demanding Panchayat Raj Minister Seethakka to regularise the outsourcing Panchayat secretaries as promised by Congress during Assembly elections. He also demanded to pay the dues of data entry operators, who worked for the Comprehensive Caste Census, conducted by Revanth Reddy Sarkar last year.