HYDERABAD: Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday announced that he would provide Rs 10 crore special financial assistance from Chief Minister's ‘Pragathi Paddu’ to each of the best performing Zilla Parishad. In his first interaction with the newly-elected ZP chairpersons and vice-chairpersons, Rao said that if all the 32 ZPs perform well then all of them would get a total of Rs 320 crore from the CM’s fund.
Rao had a luncheon meeting with the newly-elected chairpersons and vice-chairpersons at Pragathi Bhavan. Rao wanted them to play a proactive role in developing the ZPs. Rao also assured that new cars would be provided for ZP chairpersons.
Rao said that training classes would be conducted to the ZP chairpersons and vice-chairpersons in Hyderabad shortly.
System to be strengthened
The chief minister said that there was no work for ZP chairpersons in the past. “Recently, when I met the Fifteenth Finance Commission chairman, I have explained the ZP system in the State. I told the FFC chairman that Telangana gave Minister of State rank to ZP chairpersons and urged the Finance Commission to give funds to ZPs. The FFC chairman responded positively. I am thinking of strengthening the ZP system in future. All the power as per the Constitution will be devolved to the ZPs.”
Rao said that never in the history of any state that all the ZPs were bagged by a particular party. “The result in the State was one-sided. The TRS bagged all the 32 ZPs. With this, the responsibility of ZP chairpersons has increased. You have to serve people in a better way,” Rao exhorted the ZP chairpersons.
Rao suggested them to treat the public visiting ZP office with great respect. “First offer them a seat. Respect them. Listen to them patiently. Then, the people will get some relief immediately. Later, think of how to resolve the problems of the people. No investment is need for doing good deeds. The people will assess the performance of the peoples’ representatives on a daily basis. If you work hard, people will reward you,” the chief minister said.
Patancheru connection
Rao also explained how the Panchayat Raj movement was started in the country. “When SK Dey, an expert in rural development, was working in the US, the then Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru invited him to the country. Then, Community Development Department was started for the decentraliation of powers. Dey stayed at the National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD) in Hyderabad and planned for the Panchayat Raj movement.
The Community Development Ministry was later transformed into Panchayat Raj Ministry,” Raosaid. “Dey then appointed P Ramachadra Reddy as the first Samithi (Patancheru) president in the country. Thus, started Panchayat Raj movement in the country,” Rao said.
Highlights
The posts of Panchayat Secretaries will be regularised after three years.
The powers to control DPO, DLPO, EORD and MPDOs will be decided soon. It is the responsibility of the ZP chairpersons to see that these officers worked effectively. I want to see a sea of change in the first six months in ZPs.
Govt gearing up for Cabinet meet
All the senior officials in the Secretariat are busy in the last few days in preparing the agenda for the ensuing Cabinet meeting. Though the date for the next Cabinet meeting is not yet announced officially by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, the officials are preparing the agenda.
Budget in July
The sources said that the State government may present the full Budget after the second week of July. The Central government will present the Union Budget on July 5. After that, the State may take accurate figures from the Union Budget and present the State Budget in July.