'Govt apathy' towards panchayat member's death condemned

Hyderabad, Aug 3 (UNI) The Andhra Pradesh Government was today accused of an ''apathetic attitude'' in helping family members of a woman panchayat member, who was burnt alive along with her grandson, for opposing irregularities allegedly committed by some influential persons in her Srungavruksham village.

Talking to reporters here, Dr George Mathew, director of the Institute of Social Sciences (ISS), a New Delhi-based organisation working for strengthening the Panchayat Raj institutions, said though the incident took place in the wee hours of July 15, 2007, neither the Panchayat Raj Minister nor the Zilla Parishad Chairman had come forward to help the family despite the deceased being a member of the village Panchayat.

Dulla Ratnam (45), panchayat member of the Srungavruksham village under Thondangi mandal of West Godavari district, was burnt alive along with her grandson Veera Babu (8).

He said the family was living on the streets as the house had to be vacated for six months as per their religious practice.

Stating that he had set up a committee under former MP Solipeta Ramachandra Reddy to raise funds to help the family, Dr Mathew said the committee would set up a statue of the woman, who valiantly fought the irregularities, in the village.

While her high-caste opponents distributed gold, silver and sarees, she only printed copies of the ballot paper and won the election by a margin of 14 votes, he alleged and said ''this was the reason for the murder.'' Dr Mathew said on the previous day of the murder, her grain heap was burnt. Her relative, who was also doused with petrol, escaped with serious burn injuries.

He said the incident had taken place as the Panchayat Raj Institutions were not strengthened in the state. He alleged that the functioning of these institutions in the state was ''the worst'' in the country and complimented Kerala, Karnataka and West Bengal for better devolution of powers and funds.

He also added that though 29 powers had to be devolved to the Panchayat Raj institutions, not even a single was transferred in the state so far despite an MOU signed between the Government and Union Panchayat Raj Minister Manishankar Aiyar on April four, 2006.

Dr Mathew, who visited the village where the incident took place, said he held a meeting of newly-elected Panchayat members on January 6, 2007 in Hyderabad and the meeting had submitted a charter of demands to the state government, none of which was implemented.

UNI