Panchayat Secretaries Seek Relief from Heavy Workload

Puttaparthi: Panchayat Secretaries from Sri Sathya Sai district staged a protest in front of Puttaparthi Collectorate on Saturday, demanding action on their excessive workload and unresolved issues. Displaying placards and raising slogans, they expressed frustration over their working conditions.

The secretaries submitted a representation to district Collector TS Chetan, outlining their challenges.

The Panchayat Secretaries’ Association highlighted that they are overwhelmed with responsibilities, particularly village secretariat surveys, which fall solely on them. They criticized the IVRS (Interactive Voice Response System) monitoring, noting that only the Panchayat Department faces such scrutiny, increasing stress.

The association pointed out that in some mandals, Booth Level Officer duties are assigned exclusively to Panchayat Secretaries, while Village Revenue Officers and surveyors are exempted. This, combined with multiple surveys, prevents them from fulfilling core Panchayat duties.

The secretaries reported working over 12 hours daily, starting as early as 6 am for sanitation tasks and continuing late into the evening, impacting their health.

They urged the district authorities and government to address their grievances, reduce their workload, and ensure fair task distribution across departments.

According to the source: The Hans India.