TS turns a trailblazer in rural development: KTR

Hyderabad: Telangana's Municipal Administration Minister K.T. Rama Rao has stated that Telangana State is setting an example for rural development throughout India. The State's emphasis on good governance and the empowerment of local bodies has attracted national attention, added the minister. He participated in a Panchayat Raj award ceremony and stated the government has been implementing innovative programs to strengthen gram panchayats by mobilising sufficient resources. Villages have seen the development of nurseries, dumping yards, Vaikuntha Dhamam, Haritaharam, rural nature forests, and the supply of purified water to every home.

Since 2015, Telangana State has received 79 national rural awards, and in 2022, 19 of the 20 best gram panchayats under the Sansad Adarsha Grameen Yojana were from Telangana. It has also taken the top spot in clean survey awards, while Jagtial and Nizamabad districts have won district-level awards.

Telangana is the only State where industries, urban development, agricultural expansion, and IT exports are developing simultaneously. Surveys indicate that Telangana is being recognized as a leader in development and as a corruption-free state in the country. The State's per capita income has tripled from Rs. 1,24,000 in 2014 to Rs. 3,17,000 today. The value of agricultural land has also increased significantly with the implementation of Rythu Bandhu.

KTR noted that the formation of new gram panchayats has fulfilled the decades-old dream of self-government for tribal habitation. He advised Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department officers to organise training classes for local body public representatives to lead them effectively and fully understand their responsibilities, duties, and powers. He also recommended additional funds of at least Rs. 10 lakhs, 20 lakhs, and 30 lakhs for gram panchayats that have won district, state, and national-level awards, respectively, to encourage the winning representatives and inspire others.

Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao stated that the State government is also granting funds to village panchayats under the rural development scheme.