Former Village Head and Husband Detained After Locking Government School in Telangana
In a dramatic protest over unpaid government bills, a former sarpanch and her husband were taken into police custody on Friday in Rajanna Sircilla district of Telangana. The couple had locked a government school in Vallampatla village for two consecutive days, disrupting educational activities as they demanded settlement of long-pending construction dues.
Substantial Personal Funds Used for School Infrastructure
Kethireddy Anasuya, the 54-year-old former sarpanch, revealed that she had spent approximately 22 lakh rupees from personal resources for constructing a dining hall at Zilla Parishad High School (ZPHS) and classrooms at Mandal Parishad Primary School (MPPS). This work was undertaken under the Mana Ooru-Mana Badi (Our Village-Our School) program in Ellanthakunta mandal.
"We faced immense pressure to complete the construction work on time, which forced us to utilize our personal funds," explained Anasuya. "Now when we request our legitimate dues, officials are questioning who authorized the expenditure. What alternative did we have?"
Beyond the Mana Ooru-Mana Badi funds, Anasuya claimed an additional 16 lakh rupees remains pending from the gram panchayat, compounding their financial distress.
Informal School Usage Amid Ownership Dispute
Interestingly, the constructed rooms and dining hall have not been formally handed over to the government yet. However, based on requests from school authorities, the couple has been permitting informal use of these facilities. "We are allowing the school to utilize the spaces temporarily as a goodwill gesture," stated Anasuya.
The situation escalated when police intervention occurred. "Without consideration for our age, we were made to sit at the police station from morning until evening," lamented Anasuya, whose husband is 62 years old. "Who will be accountable if any health issues arise due to this stress?"
School Administration and Police Response
D Govardhan, headmaster of ZPHS, described the sequence of events: "Initially, they were instructed to remove the lock. When the rooms were found locked again this morning, police arrived and detained the former sarpanch and her husband, who were staging a sit-in protest demanding payment release."
K Srinivas, headmaster of MPPS, provided clarification regarding bill payments: "For one of the three constructed rooms, the bill has been processed and released. Students are currently being accommodated in the remaining available rooms."
Mixed Reactions from Local Authorities
Vijay Goud, the current sarpanch of Vallampatla village, acknowledged the legitimacy of the pending bills but criticized the protest method. "While it is true that payments are delayed, locking school classrooms is inappropriate," Goud remarked. "They should have formally notified officials beforehand rather than taking such extreme measures that disrupt education."
This incident highlights ongoing challenges in rural infrastructure development, where local contributors sometimes face bureaucratic delays in reimbursement, leading to confrontational situations that ultimately affect educational institutions and communities.
