Seethakka Seeks Special Funds for Tribal Gram Panchayats
Seethakka urged the commission not to withhold development funds for 62 gram panchayats in Telangana where elections have not been conducted due to pending court cases.
Warangal: Telangana panchayat raj minister Seethakka on Friday urged the Centre to extend special consideration to tribal, remote and underdeveloped gram panchayats in the allocation of funds under Finance Commission recommendations.
Addressing the 16th Finance Commission National Workshop in New Delhi, she said tax collection should not be the sole performance criterion for distributing Central grants to local bodies.
The minister said tribal and remote gram panchayats, with limited capacity to generate revenue, require additional support and flexibility in fund allocation to meet local development needs.
She also sought continuation of untied grants to enable local bodies to address region-specific priorities and essential civic requirements.
Seethakka urged the commission not to withhold development funds for 62 gram panchayats in Telangana where elections have not been conducted due to pending court cases.
She said the 16th Finance Commission recommendations should focus on strengthening village-level governance and ensuring balanced rural development.