Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Sarpanch Association has questioned the state government’s decision to project the release of Rs 56.55 crore towards honorarium for sarpanches and naib sarpanches as a special gift, alleging that the amount covers only six months against eight months of pending dues, and warned of a protest at Lower PMG in Bhubaneswar from November if the issue is not clarified.
The association alleged that sarpanches and naib sarpanches had not received their honorarium since March and maintained that the clearance of pending dues could not be described as a special gift from the government.
It also raised concerns over the functioning of gram panchayats, alleging that development activities had stalled in several areas and gram sabhas were not being conducted properly.
The association further claimed that the state government’s ‘Bikashita Gaon, Bikashita Odisha’ initiative had largely remained confined to announcements, with development work at the grassroots level failing to make the expected progress.
The controversy has also drawn criticism from opposition parties, with Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Ganeswar Behera saying that the payment should not be treated as a gift.
Behera maintained that what the government was projecting as a gift was, in fact, a delayed decision to release the pending dues of elected representatives.
Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhakta Charan Das also criticised the government’s claim, alleging that it was attempting to take credit for releasing funds that sarpanches and naib sarpanches were already entitled to receive.
Das said the amount released constituted their regular honorarium and could not be considered a gift from the government. He accused the government of seeking credit for fulfilling an existing financial obligation.
