The Khachrod district panchayat in Madhya Pradesh has been stalled in its progress due to the lack of a permanent Chief Executive Officer (CEO), impacting several projects and the livelihoods of individuals, ranging from housing schemes to critical development initiatives in 130 gram panchayats, a concerning issue that has been raised repeatedly by district panchayat president Prithviraj Singh Pawar.
Despite his numerous appeals to the government, a permanent CEO has yet to be appointed, president Pawar claimed.
He explained that the panchayat was currently involved in constructing houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. However, due to the unavailability of a permanent CEO, the process had been stalled, affecting 8,200 beneficiaries who were awaiting their housing installments.
Apart from the housing scheme, projects funded by the MLA and MP fund and the 15th Finance Commission for water conservation were also pending.
“The secretaries of 130 gram panchayats did not receive their salaries for March and April,” said Pawar.
Further highlighting the plight of the gram panchayat secretaries, president Pawar said that they planned to go on collective leave from May 7 to May 9 to voice their grievances.
The absence of the secretaries will disrupt administrative work and services to the public.
President Prithviraj Singh Pawar appealed to the administration to appoint a permanent CEO quickly and also take steps to pay the salaries of gram panchayat secretaries.
He cautioned that if these matters were not resolved quickly, he would begin an indefinite hunger strike in front of the district office from May 10.
President Pawar also stated that he would hold the administration responsible for the ensuing crisis.
