Fri May 02 05:19:06 UTC 2025: ## Telangana’s Deccan Development Society: From Empowerment to Accusations of Mismanagement

**Hyderabad, Telangana, May 2, 2025** – The Deccan Development Society (DDS), once a globally lauded model for grassroots development and millet revival in Telangana, is facing accusations of financial mismanagement and a breach of trust with the very women it empowered. For over four decades, DDS, under the leadership of the late P.V. Satheesh, transformed the lives of Dalit women in the Zaheerabad region, fostering sustainable agriculture, establishing seed banks, and creating alternative public distribution systems.

However, a wave of discontent has emerged, with women alleging missing savings, opaque land deals, and a lack of transparency within the organization. They claim that despite depositing significant portions of their earnings with DDS over the years, they are now unable to retrieve their funds. These accusations are corroborated by some former DDS employees who also allege financial irregularities and dismissals for questioning the organization’s practices.

While the current executive director, Divya Veluguri, acknowledges the complaints and states that a process to return savings is underway, the deep-seated mistrust remains. The DDS, which once enjoyed substantial international funding from organizations like Brot für die Welt, has seen a dramatic decline in donations in recent years.

The situation highlights a complex narrative. While the DDS undeniably played a crucial role in uplifting Dalit women, empowering them to overcome caste-based discrimination and achieve economic independence, its current struggles underscore the challenges faced by even the most successful grassroots organizations in maintaining transparency and accountability. The women who once found solidarity and strength within the DDS are now protesting, seeking answers and the return of their savings, a stark contrast to the empowerment the organization initially fostered. The legacy of the “Millet Man,” P.V. Satheesh, is now intertwined with serious allegations that threaten to overshadow his significant contributions.

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