Khammam: The two zilla parishad offices of Khammam and Bhadradri-Kothagudem districts have started their administration work with zero budget.
They are now eagerly waiting for the state finance commission funds from the state government as the Central finance commissions has stopped giving funds to the zilla parishads. The two ZP chiefs have set up their new offices in the district headquarters.
After assuming office, the two chairmen were briefed about the funds’ non availability. Both the chairmen stated that they were disappointed with the state of affairs in the zilla parishads and also recalled the glorious history of the zilla parishad a decade back.
The erstwhile Khammam zilla parishad had full powers on teacher transfers and appointments. Further, it obtained funds under EAS (Employment Assurance Scheme), Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojana, PM Gramodaya Yojana, National Programme for Biogas Development and Integrated Dairy Development Project apart from Left-wing affected area funds.
There were occasions when erstwhile Khammam ZP had received `100 crore in a financial year under various heads. There is full-scale activity in the zilla parishad office that is on par with the collector’s office. IAS officer used to post the zilla parishad as the CEO office.
Old timers may recall that the tenures of Chekuri Kasaiah, Vengala Rao, Kondala Rao, Chanda Lingaiah, Gonela Vijayalaxmi were part of a golden era. During the time, the zilla parishad had all the powers including appointing teachers in zilla parishad schools. Crores of rupees also came to the ZPs from the Central governments under various schemes.
E. Venkateswarlu, Congress leader said, “AICC president Kamaraj Nadar had laid the foundation stone of the zilla parishad building in 1961, which shows the importance of ZPs in that period”.
But the current zilla parisahd the offices witnesses a silence as no funds are being issued to them directly. The finance commissions of the Central government will give funds to the state government directly from where it would go to the gram panchayats directly.
The ZP’s had powers to supervise zilla parishad schools and all the schemes being executed by the mandal development officers in the gram panchayats. Though the chairmen of ZP’s and the ZPTCs took their oaths amidst fanfare, they were not happy with the funds crunch of the ZPs.
Meanwhile, there is hope of some funds reaching Bhadradri ZP. This will be in the form of cess on sand and mining. But there is no chance of any funding coming to the Khammam ZP with its limited sand reaches. Khammam zilla parishad chairman Lingala Kamalraj said that they hoped to get some funds from the state finance commission. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhara Rao had assured them of this earlier.
