Purandeswari's plea to Governor on panchayat funds
VIJAYAWADA: BJP state president Daggubati Purandeswari on Thursday sought intervention of Governor S. Abdul Nazeer on the issue of state government diverting funds meant for gram panchayats.
The BJP chief called on the Governor at the Raj Bhavan here on Thursday and requested him to ensure that gram sarpanches get funds for take up developmental works in their respective villages.
Purandeswari submitted to Abdul Nazeer two representations, one dealing with diversion of gram panchayat funds and the other seeking publishing of a white paper on AP’s finances, with an emphasis on borrowings, unpaid bills and mortgaged assets.
With regard to diversion of gram panchayat funds, which pertain to 14th and 15th Finance Commissions, she said 13,369 gram panchayats should have received ₹7,882 crore in the last four years from 2019. However, gram panchayats had not received any funds.
The BJP state president said though the centre directed the state government to open public financial management system accounts, so that funds could go directly to gram panchayats, the state government, under the garb of clearing outstanding power bills and maintenance of LED bulbs, diverted the funds.
She pointed out that some gram sarpanches even borrowed money to set up RO plants, construct roads, maintain drainages and so on in the hope that once state government releases funds, they could repay the loan. However, as the state government had not done so, some sarpanches have even committed suicide.
Purandeswari wanted the Governor to direct the state government to release funds meant for gram panchayats forthwith.
She also wanted the Governor to direct the state government to publish white paper on AP’s finances. She said in the last four years, the state’s debt burden had gone up to ₹7.44 lakh crore. With the addition of previous TD regime’s debt burden of ₹3.68 lakh crore, the total debt burden of AP is ₹10.77 lakh crore.
The BJP state president alleged that the YSRC government has resorted to the dubious means of inflating GSDP and per capita income numbers to enhance its borrowing limits. She said the state government is raising debts through corporations, which have no income. She pointed out that the government raised ₹11,600 crore from market through bonds of AP State Beverages Corporation Limited.
Purandeswari said NPS, GPS and provident funds of government employees are also being diverted and alleged that government properties like circuit house, bus depots, collectorates, R&B and police quarters, among others, are being mortgaged.