VIJAYAWADA: “The TDP-led NDA government is committed to the all round development of rural areas by extending financial support to the local bodies,” said Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan.
Pawan Kalyan, who also holds the portfolios of Panchayat Raj and Rural Development, Rural Water Supply, Environment and Forest, said that the coalition government is giving top priority to strengthen the Panchayat Raj and sarpanch system.
Blaming the previous YSRC government for neglecting the Panchayats, diversion of funds and making sarpanches as processional idols without any powers, the Deputy CM asserted that the NDA government would uphold the self respect of sarpanches, who are directly elected by the people.
In a video message released on Saturday, the actor-turned politician announced that Gram Sabhas would be conducted in all the 13,326 Gram Panchayats on a single day to discuss the implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS).
During the sabha, the villagers would decide on the works required for their own villages and the same would be taken up under the NREGS works, he explained. Pointing out the unusual increase in allocation of funds to Panchayats for Independence Day celebrations, Pawan explained that the previous allocations, which were made 34 years ago, were based on population in Minor and Major Panchayats.
Minor Panchayats with less than 5,000 population were given Rs 100 and Major Panchayats with more than 5,000 population were given Rs 250. Therefore, the TDP-led NDA government has enhanced the funds to Rs 10,000 for Minor and Rs 25,000 for Major Panchayats. The same amount of funds would be released for Republic Day celebrations as well, the Deputy Chief Minister said.
Accusing the previous YSRC dispensation of ineffective implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), a flagship Union government initiative, Pawan Kalyan revealed that although officials have informed that `4,000 crore were spent on the project, the ground-level reality appears different. Apart from laying pipelines to spend the funds, no solid work had been taken up as per the desired target of the Centre, the actor-turned politician mentioned.
A pulse survey would be conducted across the State to unearth the facts and figures in connection with JJM works carried out so far and to decide the way forward, he added.