HYDERABAD: Panchayat Raj & Rural Development Minister Danasari Anasuyaalias Seethakka on Thursday announced that the government would provide financial assistance to households with extreme poverty from the next financial year after the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) identifies such families.
During a video conference with district CEOs, DPOs and DRDOs on the “Praja Palana - Pragathi Pranalika” programme, the minister directed the officials to verify if the benefits of welfare schemes are reaching the right beneficiaries and also identify any ineligible beneficiaries, and record all the details for future policy planning.
“A similar data collection process helped reduce extreme poverty in Kerala,” she said.
The minister also instructed the officials to ensure all gram sabhas pass resolutions to encourage people to utilise only Mission Bhagiratha water for drinking purpose.
Seethakka said that development works had slowed down in villages in the past due to lack of 15th Finance Commission funds and the absence of elected sarpanches.
“Now that funds are available and public representatives have been elected, officials should work hard to bring transformational changes in villages,” she said.
Stating that the 15th Finance Commission funds should be utilised as per rules, she said: “The commission had released `245 crore for works taken up in the financial year 2023-24. The funds should primarily be used for sanitation and drinking water projects.”
“Strict action would be taken if funds are misused,” she added.
The minister also directed the officials to release a progress report on the development programmes undertaken by the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development department. “Works initiated under the Panula Jatara programme should be completed at the earliest,” she added.
Seethakka, meanwhile, directed the officials to focus on improving sanitation in villages, ensuring delivery of government services to people, accelerating village development and increasing the collection of pending taxes.
She instructed them to undertake village cleanliness drives, tax collection drives, inspection of drinking water sources, cleaning of drainages, repair of streetlights, waste management measures and awareness programmes on government welfare schemes.