Gram Sabhas held across AP

Vanapalli(konaseema district): The state government on Friday launched a unique programme called ‘Gram Sabhas’ to revive village administration across the state. In a first of its kind exercise, 13,226 Gram Sabhas were held on a single day and that too after transferring money into the gram panchayats accounts. Of the 13,226 panchayats, 70 percent of the sarpanches belong to the YSRCP.

The Panchayat Raj department has credited Rs 991 crore funds received from the Central government under 15th Finance Commission into the accounts of villages without any diversion.

It may be mentioned here that Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan had suggested to the state Cabinet that such a programme would help in reviving the village administration which had been destroyed during the previous government’s regime where panchayat funds were diverted. The cabinet had approved the suggestion.

While Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu participated in the Gram Sabha programme organised at Swarnavanapalli in Konaseema district, Pawan Kalyan attended the event in Annamaya district.

Calling it simple government and simple governance, the CM announced that Rs 4,500 crore funds would be sanctioned for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) works.

The Chief Minister said the Gram Sabhas will approve 87 types of works and promised to spend more money if needed on the scheme. “Through these meetings, we are taking sanctions for Rs 4,500 crore funds for this year. He said the MGNREGA has to provide work for all the people who demand it and it is the responsibility of the state government to ensure its implementation,” he added.

With Rs 4,500 crore funds, nine-crore workdays could be created for 54 lakh families through the rural employment guarantee scheme, the Chief Minister said. Further, promising to transform villages in the next five years, Naidu assured that 17,500 km of cement roads would be laid in all the villages and 10,000 km of drainage system would be built. He also promised to lay 2,500 km of roads and build 1.5 lakh cattle sheds, as well as work towards raising the wages under the rural employment scheme.

Further, the CM vowed that his aim is to make sure that every house in the state is fitted with a gas connection, receives tap water and has a toilet, while also making other assurances. According to Naidu, holding simultaneous state-wise Gram Sabhas was the brainchild of Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan. The actor-politician participated in a Gram Sabha at Mysurivaripalle village in Annamaya district.