1,400 schools in Prakasam to get a facelift soon: Collector Dr Pola Bhaskara

Ongole: Prakasam Collector Dr Pola Bhaskara announced that the government will develop the Prakasam district in a phased manner.

Speaking to media at the Collectorate here on Monday, he said the government was focusing its attention on providing infrastructure to boost the industrial growth in district.

The Collector thanked the officials for their cooperation and wished the people in the district a happy new year. He said about 25,000 village and ward volunteers, 7,500 secretaries in 884 village and ward secretariats were appointed in the district.

He announced the secretariats would start functioning from January 1 and the public would get all government services from there. He said more than 3 lakh farmers in the district would receive about Rs 236 crore under the Rythu Bharosa scheme. To encourage best practices in agriculture, the government was establishing 20 Rythu Bharosa centres, 5 seed hubs in the district and one integrated lab at each assembly constituency to test the quality of seeds, fertilizers and pesticides.

As the district suffered from drought continuously for five years, the government was focusing its attention on developing water sources, he said added they were working to release water from first tunnel in the Veligonda project by June. He announced that they want to provide water through pipelines to every household in the district and submitted a plan for Rs 5,300 crores for the same.

The collector announced that 1,400 schools in the district would get facelift with Rs 550 crore funds under Mana Badi Nadu Nedu scheme. He said the government was increasing the cover for Arogyasri and providing one 104 vehicle for each mandal to conduct diagnostic tests. He said under MGNREG Scheme, the district can spend Rs 385 crore for wage component and Rs 1,000 crore for material component by March to create infrastructure like CC roads, gravel roads, side drains, compound walls, Anganwadi buildings and godowns for farmers.

Bhaskara announced that Indian Navy was interested to set up a Very Low-Frequency communication station in Donakonda and concerned officials also visited the place. He said the Navy staff asked about 2,500 acres for the erection of three towers and construction of buildings for operational use.

He said they were going to provide 1.10 lakh housing plots to poor families in the district by Ugadi. He announced they were considering land to be near to village and utilise any government land available or go for land pooling and acquisition depending on the situation.