Empowering all villages in State

CM to launch programme at Gangadevipalli

Hyderabad: The Rs 25,000-crore Grama Jyothi programme, which aims to empower gram panchayats and introduce participatory approach in preparing village development plans involving panchayats and self-help groups in the holistic development, is turning out to be a turf war between the government and the Opposition parties.

According to the government, the programme to be launched on Monday at Gangadevipalli in Warangal district by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, lays stress on the development of key sectors, such as drinking water and sanitation, health and nutrition, education, infrastructure, natural resources management, agriculture, social security and poverty reduction.

As these sectors are considered critical for the holistic development of the gram panchayats, the programme will focus on improving the service delivery at village-level by decentralising the decision-making process – by preparing a perspective village development plan for the next four to five years and monitoring its implementation, but the opposition parties are accusing the government of trying to divert the attention of rural population from the failures of the government in last one year.

However, the TDP alleged that the Grama Jyothi is a programme to strengthen the party and not for the development of villages. “It is TRS Jyothi,” and not Gram Jyothi. The government, which had failed to implement various programmes it had promised, is now launching another programme to deceive the people, said TDP leader R Chandrasekhar Reddy.

Deputy CLP leader T Jeevan Reddy accused the government of trying to divert the attention of rural population by announcing new schemes like Grama Jyothi. He said that the much-hyped Mana Vuru Mana Pranalika, which was launched about one year ago had failed to attain any objective. Moreover, not a single penny was spent by the State government for development of gram panchayats during the period.

The BJP, however, was little cautious in its reaction. MLC N Ramachandra Rao said while the scheme is laudable it should not become a weapon to intimidate gram panchayats. But the government brushing aside the criticism says that the objective of this programme is to strengthen the existing Panchayati Raj system, make gram panchayats participate actively in development schemes and prepare plans at the village level.

The Key Components of a Gram Panchayat Development Plan, according to GO No 64 is aimed at empowering the gram panchayats to take decisions that affect them and also plan and prioritise their needs. Such needs would be suitably tied-up with the pooled funds of various schemes.

The effective delivery of all of these functions and responsibilities directly influence the quality of life of the people and helps in improving the Human Development Index (HDI). Therefore, each Gram Panchayat shall prepare a perspective plan for the next four to five years, says the GO.

The monitoring and coordination plan, according to the GO, would concentrate on improved service delivery in health and nutrition, education, agriculture and animal husbandry sectors. Another key component to be addressed by gram panchayats would be the issue of livelihoods, poverty and social security that afflict the poor. The gram panchayats would be required to formulate a special development plan for the welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

A cabinet sub-committee headed by Panchyat Raj Minister K T Rama Rao, with ministers Etela Rajender (Finance), Tummala Nageswara Rao (Roads & Buildings), Pocharam Srinivas Reddy (Agriculture), T Harish Rao (Irrigation) and Jogu Ramanna (Forest) as its members, would monitor the implementation of the scheme regularly.