ADILABAD: The Telangana state government is forming new municipalities, mandals and gram panchayats with a view to “taking the administration closer to the people and solving their problems faster.” There is urgency in this endeavour as elections are drawing nearer.
It was a few days ago that the TS government declared gram panchayat Asifabad as a municipality by also merging the Janakapur and Rajampet regions with it. Residents will, however, have to pay more taxes with Asifabad becoming a municipality, unlike when they were in a gram panchayat. The state government has also designated village Rajaram as a new gram panchayat.
Notably, some leaders recently met the minister KT Ramarao and requested him to declare Shyampur as a new mandal. Till now, Asifabad was a gram panchayat and acted as the headquarters of the Komaram Bheem Asifabad district that had been carved out of the erstwhile Adilabad district.
The state government wanted to change Asifabad’s status to municipality from being a gram panchayat so as to ensure development of the town and district headquarters, it was explained.
A general perception is that grama panchats get lesser funds while municipality higher funds. Asifabad Zilla Parishad chairperson Kova Laxmi met municipal administration minister KTR and thanked him for declaring Asifabad as a municipality.
Kova Laxmi was also instrumental in the creation of a new district and naming it after Adivasis’ legendary leader Komaram Bheem.
A team of BRS leaders led by Marapa Bhajirao met KTR and requested him to give Shyampur a mandal status. There are also pleas for creation of Danthanpalli, Narsapur, and Sonala mandals, all of which are now gram panchayats.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Kova Laxmi said minister Ramarao promised to sanction special funds for Asifabad municipality. The state government has changed Asifabad to a municipality as a gram panchayat cannot be the district headquarters, it is noted.
The state government is likely to announce creation of some more new mandals and gram panchayats in the coming days.
A section of the people of Utnoor has been urging the state government to convert the town into a municipality for faster development of the area.
BRS leader Atram Shankar has said the conversion of Asifabad into a municipality will help develop the town and create more infrastructure.
