Karimnagar: Fulfilling a key electoral promise, Union minister of state for home affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Sunday released incentive funds of ₹10 lakh each to village panchayats that elected BJP-supported sarpanches unanimously. During the previous local body elections, the minister had pledged to extend financial support from his MP Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) funds to encourage administrative harmony in villages.
Delivering on the assurance, he handed over official fund release circulars to representatives of Peechupalli village in Ganneruvaram mandal and Vijayanagar Colony in Koheda mandal, both falling under the Karimnagar Parliamentary constituency.
Addressing a gathering at Vijayanagar Colony, the Union minister for state said rural development remained his priority and asserted that the State’s progress was closely linked to the growth of villages. He said his focus was on mobilising Central funds for strengthening rural infrastructure, despite criticism over development works.
During his visit to Peechupalli, where he handed over the circular to the village sarpanch, the minister criticised both the present Congress government and the previous BRS regime, alleging failure to honour promises made to village panchayats.
He claimed that while the state government had announced ₹10 lakh incentives for each of the 1,203 unanimously elected panchayats in Telangana — amounting to over ₹120 crore — no funds had been released so far. He alleged that similar assurances made by the earlier BRS government to over 2,000 panchayats were also not fulfilled.
The minister further alleged mismanagement of rural finances, stating that several former sarpanches were struggling to recover dues for completed development works. He said some representatives were pushed into financial distress due to pending bills.
Sanjay said the Central government has sanctioned over ₹1,000 crore in phases for panchayat development in Telangana and claimed that most visible rural development was being funded through Central grants.
He criticised the Congress government’s claims of promoting Gram Swaraj, asserting that true empowerment of villages required transparency in finances and fulfilment of electoral commitments.
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