Villagers demandingdrinking water lock GP office

Residents of Ghamtamvaripalli village in Bagepalli taluk locked the Grama Panchayat office, on Monday, and protested over inefficient supply of drinking water.

Addressing the protesters, village leader G N Narasimhamurthy said: “ There are two borewells in the village. The pump and motor attached to one of the borewells is not working and as a result, for the past six months there has been irregular supply of drinking water. The situation is grim. To make matter worse a few grama panchayat members have provided direct water supply connection to a few households, adding to the problem.”
This state cannot persist. If the Ghamtamvaripalli Grama Panchayat refuses to fix the issue at once, we will intensify the protest, he added.

Payment denied

Also speaking on the occasion, a resident Narasimhamurthy said: “Though funds have been released under the Nirmal Grama Scheme, eligible beneficiaries have been denied payment for construction of toilets. Other issues that call for immediate attention are clearing of garbage, laying of roads and installing of streetlights.”

Grama Panchayat secretary Gopal who arrived at the spot assured the protesters that as a temporary relief residents of Ghamtamvaripalli will be supplied water from Narepalli, a neighbouring village.

After Gopal’s assurances, the protesters withdrew the stir.