Chintakunta and Ghanpur villages of Andole mandal in Medak district are telling examples of how petty politics hinder the government's welfare programmes from reaching out to the needy. | |
| The benefits of development schemes have not percolated to Chintakunta village as its only sin was having a Congressman as its sarpanch, claim the villagers. |
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| Works on four developmental schemes, including cement roads, have remained incomplete for the last one year allegedly due to interference from the Telugu Desam Party cadres who fear political benefits would accrue to the Congress party. |
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| "Minister Babu Mohan was kind enough to get these schemes sanctioned for the village. However, the local TDP leaders have prevailed upon the minister to stop execution of these works," alleges Tirupathi, a marginal farmer. |
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| This is not a stray instance. In fact, this practice of TDP leaders obstructing development works has assumed serious proportions so as to earn a bad name for the TDP. Kolcharam mandal president, who belongs to TDP, is accused of discriminating against Chintakunta. |
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| Gnananadam of Ghanpur village, which also has a Congress sarpanch, said, "We invited the mandal president to our village and urged him to sort out his differences with the sarpanch but to no avail." |
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| Another issue which provokes these villagers is how TDP cadres are amassing money. |
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| Says Jangaiah from Pasalvadi village in Sangareddy mandal: "When you borrow huge money for spending, the so-called development will automatically follow. What really happened in Naidu's rule is that his party-men's pockets have become full." |
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| Tirupathi of Chintakunta village is, however, all praise for the Koti Varalu (one crore sops) scheme for its impartial implementation. The scheme, implemented across the state till the announcement of elections, actually exceeded the limit of one crore. |
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| "In issuing white ration cards, sanctioning individual sanitary latrines, the officials have identified the beneficiaries purely on the basis of their poverty levels," he noted. But this scheme is the only exception among the several development schemes announced for the village, he added. |
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| These two villages, represented by Congress, seem unfazed by the discriminatory tactics of the ruling TDP and appear to be extending their support to the main opposition party. |
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| If the dejection of these villages with TDP was due to its discriminatory attitude, another village, Chotpol, in Pulkar mandal in Andole segment, is witnessing dissidence among the ruling party cadres. |
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| "Things have gone wrong to such an extent that no one now cares about the credibility loss to the party due to these intra-party rumblings." He fears groupism in TDP would harm the party prospects in the current elections. |
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| Taking note of petty politics, a resigned Gore Mia, an old farmer, thinks in a radical way. He opined that when people continue to be in power they would become a liability to all. |
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| "Erstwhile Patel Patwaris enjoyed unlimited power for decades. They did not register the lands of the poor for generations to come. The same thing is happening now," he said. |
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