The Adivasi villagers of Mallapur in Sirikonda mandal of Adilabad district on Wednesday disallowed painting of the sign board on a small building locally which is designated as the new gram panchayat office.
The villagers said the sign board being painted, a day ahead of the start of functioning of new gram panchayats in the district, should show the village as being located in Indervelli mandal and not Sirikonda.
The Special Officer for the Mallapur gram panchayat Athram Bhaskar, who is the Assistant Tribal Welfare Officer also visited the village. He was also told the same thing and made to return. The villagers have been agitating for continuing their village under Indervelli mandal.
Meanwhile, the aboriginal villagers of Pandurguda in Dandepally in Mancherial district too wanted their village stay with Venkatraopur gram panchayat instead of clubbing with villages in another gram panchayat. They have warned of a protest on Thursday when officials come to inaugurate the functioning of the new Gram Panchayat.