Government Clears ₹750 Crores, Over ₹1,200 Crores Pending from Previous Administration
- Former sarpanches push for bill clearance.
- Plans in place to clear bills in phases.
- Government reviews work progress in villages.
Hyderabad:
The state government is taking steps to clear pending bills accumulated in panchayats across Telangana. The Panchayati Raj Department has instructed collectors to provide detailed reports on pending bills, including when the projects began and were completed in villages.
So far, approximately ₹588 crores in pending bills have been identified for various works, with the government planning to clear them in phases. Since the Congress government took charge, ₹750 crores worth of bills have already been settled. Projects like streetlight maintenance, sewage canal construction, rural parks, Rythu Vedikas, Vaikuntha Dhamams, Mana Ooru-Mana Badi, Palle Pragathi, Mission Bhagiratha, and sanitation were carried out across 12,769 villages.
Financial Strain on Former Sarpanches
Many former sarpanches face financial difficulties due to unpaid bills. Officials confirmed that the previous BRS government left bills worth over ₹1,200 crores unpaid, of which ₹750 crores have been cleared by the Congress administration. Some sarpanches even approached the courts to demand bill clearance. The Panchayati Raj Department has now collected details of all pending bills and formulated a phased plan for their settlement.
₹4,181 Crores Diverted by BRS Government
During its decade-long rule, the previous government allocated ₹10,170 crores to local bodies under the State Finance Commission. However, only ₹5,988 crores were released, with ₹4,181 crores allegedly diverted for other purposes. Former sarpanches accused the BRS government of using 42% of funds meant for gram panchayats to meet its own needs.
The Congress-led government aims to resolve these issues, ensuring smoother implementation of development activities in villages.
