VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu took a class to Principal Secretary (Panchayat Raj) Shashi Bhushan Kumar, District Collectors and other senior officials for not coming well prepared over MGNREGA works and bill payments for the review meeting.
He said, “Panchayats are getting more funds than other departments, especially for MGNREGA works, but the works done and bills cleared are varying. You have money but why are you not clearing the bills for the works done?”
The Principal Secretary failed to explain why there was a difference in the execution of works and cleared bills varied from one district to the other when rule positions and procedures are uniform for MGNREGA.
“I am here to motivate you all. You don’t try to cover your lapses. You all should have come prepared,” Naidu said.
Deputy Chief Minister (Panchayat Raj and Rural Development) Pawan Kalyan observed it silently when the Chief Minister took the officials to task with facts and figures in hand.
The Chief Minister said Rs 2,000 crore has already been released from the 15th Finance Commission funds to gram panchayats, and another Rs 1,100 crore will be released soon. Nearly 80,000 km long rural roads are already existing. The Collectors should take steps to interlink the major panchayat roads to improve connectivity in rural areas, he said.