Ensure success of gram sabhas, collectors told

Vijayawada : Chief secretary Neerabh Kumar Prasad instructed the district collectors to take steps for the successful conduct of gram sabhas to be held on August 23 acros the state. He instructed the collectors to appoint special officers for each gram sabha and ensure the meets are held successfully. Neerabh Kumar Wednesday conducted a video conference with the district collectors and explained the objective of gram sabhas.

He said gram sabhas are being conducted to create awareness on implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), providing medical and educational facilities, supply of drinking water, connectivity between the villages, solid waste management, etc.,

He said the officials to see that people’s representatives participate in the gram sabhas. Collectors should take special initiative and ensure all-round development of villages.

Referring to new sand policy, the chief secretary said new policy will be implemented from September 11. “New guidelines will be issued very soon on it. Irregularities must be checked in implementation of new sand policy. The collectors should fix the prices of sand at the reaches,” he said.

Panchayat raj and rural development principal secretary Sasi Bhushan Kumar urged the officials to follow the guidelines issued by the government for the successful conduct of gram sabhas. He asked the officials to create awareness on NREGS and announce the new works sanctioned in villages.

Mines and geology principal secretary Mukesh Kumar Meena said some gaps are there in the maintenance of the sand reaches and fixing of price and all these issues will be resolved soon.

Meena said all the transporters in the districts were called and asked to register the vehicles used for transporting sand and assign a unique number. Only the registered vehicles should be used for transporting sand. Moreover, the principal secretary said that the prices should be decided immediately as per the reach price for sand mining and transportation.

He directed the district SPs to set up a police check post at the district border and publicise toll free number. Similarly, district collectors and SPs should hold a joint media conference at 5 pm on Thursday and explain about free sand policy.

The joint collector of the district should explain regarding the implementation of the sand policy. Mukesh Kumar Meena made it clear that the district collector and SP should be held responsible for illegal transportation of sand and illegal mining in their respective districts.

Finance secretary K V V Satyanarayana, mines commissioner Praveen Kumar, district collectors and superintendents of police participated in the video conference.