Palle Pragathi yielding results: Errabelli Dayakar Rao

Warangal: Since the implementation of 30-day action plan, also known as Palle Pragathi, there was a significant change in the gram panchayats (GPs), Minister for Panchayat Raj Errabelli Dayakar Rao said. Speaking at a programme after distributing tractors to 50 GPs at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Wednesday, he said that despite the criticism from the Opposition parties, the government was able to bring a considerable change in the GPs with the implementation of Palle Pragathi programme. "The administration gave impetus on sanitation, Haritha Haram, roads, dumping yards, graveyards etc involving Sarpanches, Panchayat Secretaries, and most importantly people," Errabelli said.

Besides the development of villages, the 30-day action plan has also enhanced the reputation of Sarpanches, he said and told the Sarpanches not to misuse the tractors supplied by the government. They should be utilised only for the purpose of village development, he added.

The GPs can appoint tractor drivers using the funds of employment guarantee scheme, he said. If Sarpanches work well, it will pave way for their political development, he added. The cheque power of the Upa-sarpanches will be removed if they fail to honour the GP resolutions.

The Minister said that the administration would felicitate the five Sarpanches, who put up the best performance in the GPs development. The worst five Sarpanches will also be felicitated, he added.

Referring to the development programmes and welfare schemes introduced by the TRS government, Errabelli said that successive governments failed to focus on the rural areas.

"The State government had so far spent Rs 29,000 crore for carrying Mission Bhagiratha, its flagship

programme to provide safe drinking water to all the households," he said, hitting back at the allegations of

Opposition leaders' criticism that

government had involved in Rs 50,000 crore irregularities.

Criticising the BJP-led Central government, Errabelli said that while Telangana had generated Rs 5.70 lakh revenue for the Centre, in return the latter had allocated just 31,000 crore to the State. Several Union Ministers who came to know about Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP), Mission Bhagiratha and other flagship programmes of the Telangana appreciated the efforts of KCR, he said.

The meeting was presided over by Warangal Urban District Collector Prashanth Jeevan Patil in which

MP Banda Prakash, Urban ZP

Chairperson M Sudheer Kumar, Warangal East MLA N Narender, Wardhannapet MLA Aroori Ramesh, Husnabad MLA V Sathish Kumar and Special Collector Manu Chowdary were among others present.