700 Gram Sabhas held in Chittoor district

Chittoor: In a significant move aimed at advancing the objectives of comprehensive development and self-sufficiency in villages, 700 Gram Sabhas were held across Chittoor district on Friday. This initiative is part of a larger state-wide effort to conduct Gram Sabhas in 13,326 Gram Panchayats on Friday to identify and prioritise development works for the financial year 2024-25.

During these Gram Sabhas, 1,407 development works amounting to Rs 91.30 crore were approved under various schemes, including employment guarantee scheme, as told by district Collector Sumit Kumar. These meetings served as a platform to educate villagers on their rights, especially those of employment guarantee workers, and emphasised the significance of social inspection and non-compromise issues in ensuring effective implementation of the Employment Guarantee Scheme.

Key topics discussed during Gram Sabhas included essential infrastructure needs such as provision of toilets, electricity connections, tap water and cooking gas connections. Villagers also deliberated on the need for improved sewage and solid waste management systems, street lighting, and the construction of cement roads, both within villages and connecting them to mandal centres. Swarna Gram Panchayat initiative, which aims to provide every household with electricity, tap water, toilet facilities, and LPG gas connections, was also discussed as part of the broader agenda for enhancing rural infrastructure. In addition to household amenities, Gram Sabhas emphasised the need for general infrastructure improvements, such as water supply schemes, drainage systems, liquid and solid waste management, and street lighting.