Bhubaneswar: Two days after Odisha approved Rs 56.55 crore towards the payment of six months’ honorarium to serving sarpanches and naib sarpanches, the Odisha Sarpanch Mahasangha rejected the state government’s claim that it’s a special gift and warned of a statewide protest if their long-pending dues are not cleared.
According to the Mahasangha, sarpanches and naib sarpanches have not received their regular allowances for the past eight months (since March). The association slammed the government for publicising the release of just six months of pending allowances as a “gift” to elected local representatives, pointing out that since these are arrears for work already done, presenting them as a festival gift or special bounty is misleading.
The Mahasangha also alleged that developmental works across various gram panchayats have come to a standstill due to administrative apathy and fund constraints. They stated even gram sabhas are not being conducted properly.
Criticising the Odisha government’s vision of ‘Vikshit Gaon, Vikshit Odisha’ (Developed Village, Developed Odisha), the Mahasabha asserted that the slogan remains restricted to mere announcements rather than ground-level implementation.
The state body of Sarpanch Mahasangha has issued a stern warning to the Mohan Majhi government, demanding immediate clarification and disbursement of all pending dues. Representatives announced that if their demands are not met, sarpanches from across the state will stage a massive dharna (sit-in protest) from November at Lower PMG in Bhubaneswar.
Political analysts noted that with panchayat elections approaching, this brewing discontent among grassroots representatives could pose a significant challenge for the ruling administration
