HYDERABAD: In a bid to ensure integrated development of villages, the Telangana government has decided to launch ‘Telangana Palle Pragathi’ programme in January next year. Participating in the first executive committee meeting of Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) he r e on Wedne sday , panchayat raj Minister KT Rama Rao said the programme would be taken up with World Bank assistance in 1,500 selected villages in 150 mandals of the state. Telangana Rural Inclusive Growth Project (TRIGP) will hereafter be named ‘Telangana Palle Pragathi. The minister said that only educated women of the villages, where one-stop shop, a citizen service centre, to be set up under ‘Telangana Palle Pragathi,’ should be allowed to manage those centres. Such a measure will also economically empower the educated women of those villages, he said. Reviewing each and every aspect of the programmes being implemented through SERP at length, Rao appreciated SERP for its dedicated work and wanted it to progress ahead even more effectively. The enhanced social security pensions that the government will be disbursing from next month onwards were also discussed. Asking SERP officials to be prepared for disbursing social security pensions to beneficiaries, he directed them to facilitate issuance of pension cards. Those cards are not smart cards but will be colour-coded. He also asked the officials to have a toll- free number to receive grievances. After going through several names suggested, the EC of SERP suggested the name of ‘Asara’ but the final decision will be taken by the chief minister. The minister clarified that interest-free loans would continue and the arrears would be paid shortly. The demands of SERP employees, regularisation of contract employees, regularisation of Sakala Janula Samme period were also discussed at the meeting. Pr inc ipal s e c r e t ar y (panchayat raj) Raymond Peter, rural development commissioner Venkateswarlu, SERP CEO Murali and others participated in the meeting.