VIJAYAWADA: The NTR District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) convened on Tuesday to assess the implementation of various development programmes across the district.
Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanath, who chaired the meeting, briefed the media on key discussions, including the progress of the Jal Jeevan Mission and a modernisation initiative for Primary Health Centres (PHCs), with Rs 130 crore allocated for Government General Hospital (GGH) development.
Sivanath emphasised the role of drones and advanced technologies in agriculture, particularly in promoting natural farming practices, an area where Andhra Pradesh leads nationally. He also announced plans to establish a National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRD) cluster in Tiruvuru, aimed at boosting rural training, certification, and employment initiatives in alignment with the Chief Minister’s “One Entrepreneur per Household’ vision.
Local MLAs raised various issues at the meeting, including Tiruvuru’s potential for wind energy projects, ongoing housing initiatives for the underprivileged, and essential infrastructure needs in hospitals. The meeting also covered progress in the Jal Jeevan Mission, drainage development, and projects under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA).
Additionally, discussions focused on enhancing awareness around skill development, job fairs, and government employment programs, particularly for unemployed youth. Sivanath assured attendees that he would escalate local issues impacting central government scheme implementation to higher authorities. He commended district stakeholders for achieving 109% implementation of the Prime Minister’s Mudra Yojana in 2023-24 and encouraged a similar commitment across other programmes.
The committee reviewed the status of 35 Central schemes administered by 19 departments, including the National Health Mission (NHM), Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Samagra Shiksha, PMGSY, MGNREGA, PMAY, Swachh Bharat Mission, PMEGA, and Jal Jeevan Mission. Recommendations included hosting job fairs to enhance employment opportunities and developing Nutri Gardens and Kitchen Gardens at Anganwadi centres, alongside prioritising sports initiatives in schools.
District In-Charge Collector Dr Nidhi Meena, Vijayawada East MLA Gadde Ram Mohan, Jaggayyapet MLA Sriram Rajagopal and other district officials were present.