Rural transformation at fast clip: Ministers

Suryapet: Panchayati Raj Minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao and Energy Minister Guntakandla Jagadish Reddy said on Sunday that a qualitative change was visible in rural areas following the Palle Pragathi drive. They said villages were turning more beautiful under the programme.

They took part in the fifth phase of Palle Pragathi works at Apoor village in Atmakur (S) mandal in the district. Along with officials, they conducted a padayatra in the village and interacted with the people about their problems. Later, they laid foundation for the construction of school building at an estimated cost of Rs 1.2 crore under the Mana Ooru - Manabadi programme. They went around the village and examined the dumping yard, Palle Prakruthi Vanam and nurseries. They also inaugurated the newly established playground.

Later, the two leaders addressed a public meeting. They expressed happiness that the government welfare programmes were reaching out to the people effectively and transparently. They said the villages had deteriorated under the Congress rule and their development was taken up under the state government's flagship programme of Palle Pragathi. They listed the various benefits accruing to the villages, including Palle Prakruti Vanam, playgrounds, dumping yards, Vaikunta Dhamam (crematorium) and modernisation of schools. They cautioned the people against the vote-bank politics of the Congress leaders who were enacting a drama in the name of the Warangal Declaration. They challenged the Congress leaders to come for discussion on the development of villages.

On the occasion, they deplored that innocent sarpanches were being dragged into vested politics despite the delay in the release of funds was due to the Center's antagonism towards the State. They lauded CM KCR for launching various measures to turn Telangana into a fluorosis-free state in the country, by providing Godavari water to Suryapet district through Kaleshwaram project.

Zilla Praja Parishad Chairman Gujja Deepika, Rajya Sabha member Badugula Lingaiah yadav, Collector Vinay Krishnareddy, District Library Chairman Nimmala Srinivas Goud, and others accompanied the ministers.