Guwahati, May 25: Vallepu Anitha, a 32-year-old sarpanch of Vishwantha Colony, a new gram panchayat in Hanumakonda district in Telangana was compelled to work as a daily wage labourer as the money allocated to the panchayat is being used to pay to lenders and contractors.
As per reports, in a bid to carry out some developmental work like the construction of parks, cremation grounds, roads, drains, electricity poles etc., in her gram panchayat, Anitha raised capital from the market and engaged contractors for the work. Although she thought of repaying the debt that has been incurred from the work once the government clears the bills, but to no avail.
Her repeated requests to the higher authorities have fallen to deaf ears. Bills amounting to Rs 8 lakh are pending with the authorities which are yet to be released.
She also reached out to the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Department officials, asking them to at least clear the pending bills, but it did not yield any positive response.
Meanwhile, she has been using some part of the Rs 40,000 sanctioned to gram panchayats by the State every month, towards paying off this debt. However, it leaves her with no income of her own forcing her to take up the job of a daily wage labourer.
As she toils in the field, Anitha is earning Rs 150-220 per day, under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, said reports.
