Village panchayat office under a tent in Venkateshwarlapalli

Warangal: Sarpanch Thokala Divakar Reddy of Venkateshwarlapalli village in Chilpur mandal of Jangaon district is operating his panchayat office from under a tent.

The sarpanch said he has been forced to move under a tent after the funds earmarked for panchayats by the centre have been diverted by KCR government.

Divakar Reddy has put a table and a few chairs under a tent on the roadside in the village and is running his office from there.

As part of reorganising districts, mandals and villages, the state government had converted Venkateshwarlapalli into a new village pancahayat within Chilpur mandal. As it is a new panchayat, it does not have its own building. So, the sarpanch took a building on rent to run the office. 

Divakar Reddy maintained that the house owner allowed the office, hoping that the rent will eventually come as a lump sum. But after news that the funds have been diverted, they have been forced to move the office under a tent.

The sarpanch said on a number of occasions, they have requested officials to allot a permanent building for the village panchayat. But nothing has been done so far.

“Officials must understand our pathetic condition. They must take immediate steps for construction of a permanent building or sanction funds which have been diverted, so that we can function from a proper building,” Divakar Reddy stated