TIRUPATI: Deputy Chief Minister (Panchayat Raj and Rural Development) K Pawan Kalyan has said every villager should actively think about what needs to be done to achieve rural development.
Speaking at a Grama Sabha held at Mysooravaripalle in Railway Kodur mandal of Annamayya district on Friday, the Deputy Chief Minister underlined the importance of community participation and collective decision-making to promote comprehensive development of villages and achieve rural growth.
“The panchayat sarpanch who possesses significant powers and responsibilities as the first citizen of the village, can transform a village into a thriving community like Ralegan Siddhi, which stood as a model in the country, if he discharges them efficiently,” he said.
The Grama Sabha, inaugurated by Sarpanch Karumanchi Samyukta, passed resolutions to take up 43 development works worth Rs 38.46 lakh in Mysooravaripalle. All the villagers actively participated in the Grama Sabha, discussing their needs and development priorities for rural growth.
Pawan Kalyan lauded Samyukta for her courage in contesting and winning the panchayat election despite adverse conditions during the previous YSRC regime, describing her as an example of bravery that impressed him a lot. Pawan Kalyan said he drew inspiration from leaders like Anna Hazare, who began his journey from the panchayat level, and went on to make significant contribution to rural growth at the national level.
He lashed out at the previous YSRC regime for its failure to ensure transparency in implementing MGNREGA, and development works worth thousands of crores were executed without any accountability.
Highlighting the significance of conducting Grama Sabhas in all the 13,326 village panchayats in the State, he said it is meant to ensure that panchayat funds are used effectively and transparently. To enhance accountability, the Deputy Chief Minister announced plans to set up Citizen Information Boards displaying details of completed development works, including the total expenditure incurred, and the name of contractor, in panchayats.
Reiterating the government’s commitment to village development, Pawan Kalyan said Rs 991 crore of the 15th Finance Commission funds were directly transferred into panchayat accounts without any deductions. The funds help make the panchayats financially strong and pave the way for their transformation into ‘Golden Panchayats’.
The government is determined to address land issues and ensure that every village has sufficient land for the future community development needs. Henceforth, four Grama Sabhas should be held in every panchayat per annum to involve all the people in village development, he said.
The Deputy Chief Minister also explained the government’s efforts to improve local employment opportunities, particularly in Rayalaseema, by coming up with skill development initiatives and industrial projects linked to horticulture.
Transport Minister Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy, MLAs Arava Sridhar and Arani Srinivasulu, Panchayat Raj Commissioner Mylavaram Krishna Teja, Annamayya District Collector Chamakuri Sridhar, SP V Vidyasagar Naidu, Joint Collector Adarsh Rajendran, Sub-Collector Nadiya Devi and others were present.
Deputy CM visits flood-hit Pulapathuru
Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan visited Pulapathuru in Kadapa district, one of the five villages severely affected by the flash floods triggered by the damaged Annamayya Project on November 19, 2021. Accompanied by District Collector Chamakuri Sridhar, he went round a photo exhibition on flood damage. Participating in a Grama Sabha in the village, he promised to send a team of senior officials to assess the damage and provide relief to all the flood affected people