Yadadri: Centre committed to housing for the poor

Yadadri-Bhongir: Union Minister of State for Panchayat Raj Kapil Moreshwar Patil on Friday toured Yadadri Bhongir district. During the tour, he visited Yadadri shrine and had a darshan of Lord Laxmi Narasimha Swamy in Balalyam and performed special puja to Swami in the temple. Priests blessed the minister after the puja concluded.

Later, he visited Vellanki village in Ramannapeta mandal and S.Lingotam village in Choutuppal mandal in the district and examined the works carried out under the NREGS scheme. During his tour to Vellanki village, he inspected Rythu Vedika, Palle Prakruthi Vanam, Vaikunta Dammam, village nursery and segregation shed in the village. He also examined the underground drain funded by the 15th Finance commission.

Kapil Moreshwar visited the exhibition of rural products organised by the women associations in the district and he took part in a meeting with villagers held at the local Rythu Vedika building. During the meeting, he enquired about the development works carried out in the village with the funds sanctioned under the 14th and the 15th Finance Commissions.

The Minister expressed pleasure over the progress and development works and the sanitation management in the village and assured to nominate Vellanki for a national award. Addressing a meeting chaired by District Collector Pamela Satpathy, he stated that the Union government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been working for the establishment of Grama Swarajayam as per the aspirations of Mahatma Gandhi.

The Central government would work for the development of villages to strengthen local bodies by providing direct funding through central finance commission. He informed that Rs 31 lakh crore under the 14th Finance Commission and Rs 2.25 lakh crore funds under the 15th Finance Commission were released for the rural development in the country so far. Rs 130 crore was sanctioned for the construction of new gram panchayat buildings in Telangana in the previous fiscal year. He appreciated the State government's initiative to grow village nurseries and plant saplings under Haritha Haram programme by utilising the NREGS funds. He also praised the rural development programmes being implemented by the government. He said the Union government was ready to sanction the houses for the poor under Pradhana Mantri Awas Yojana and added that the state government had to come up with necessary proposals. A highly pleased Moreshwar said that he would never forget Vellanki villagers for their warm welcome and planted a sapling at the Palle Prakruthi Vanam in the village.

Addressing the villagers, MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy stated that State government was snatching half of the Central government funds meant for villages in the name of electricity bills and other expenses. He requested Moreshwar to sanction funds for BT road from Indrapalanagaram to Velminedu village via Vellanki under the PMGSY scheme. The MP also sought a special comprehensive plan to address the issues of handlooms in the State.

Responding to a question from villagers, Komatireddy replied that he was ready to quit his MP post, if the CM announced Rs 10 lakh to all the Dalits and the poor in his constituency.

ZP Chairman A Sandeep Reddy, Deputy Commissioner of Panchyat Raj Rama Rao, John Wesley, Additional Collector, Deepak Tiwari, DRDO, Mandadi Upender Reddy, ZP CEO Krishna Reddy, Sarpanch Mahendar Reddy, ZPTC Punna laksmi, MPP Kanneboyina Jyothi and others participated in the programme.