KCR urges people to concentrate on development of villages

Exhorting people to concentrate on the development of villages, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao has stated that the state and the country can only develop if the villages are developed.

The Chief Minister instructed concerned officers to appoint village secretary in every gram panchayat in Telangana. He said that by effectively implementing new Panchayat Raj Act, the overall picture of the villages must be changed and bettered.

Rao, commonly known as KCR said that immediately after the village panchayat raj elections, programmes concerning to sanitation and environmental cleanliness in the villages must be stepped up.

He held a review meeting on Sunday at Pragathi Bhavan on various aspects of panchayat raj and electoral promises made in the recent Assembly elections.

As part of its efforts to strengthen the gram panchayat system, the state government has appointed 9355 new panchayat raj secretaries. This is the first of its kind recruitment process after the creation of the New Zonal system. With the appointment of new village secretaries, the Chief Minister said that every village will have village-level officers who will be made responsible for the development of the villages, greenery and sanitation programmes.

In addition to the existing village secretaries along with the newly-recruited village panchayat secretaries, there will be an awareness conclave on December 27 in Hyderabad. The Chief Minister will deliver the inaugural address and make suggestions on the action plan for the development of villages.

Rao also announced in the review meeting that in accordance with the electoral promises, every senior citizen on completion of 57 years will be provided with old age pensions. He has instructed Chief Secretary SK Joshi to draft modalities pertaining to this and decide on the process of identifying eligible persons for the old age pension. Rao added that once the details of beneficiaries are worked out and the number is decided, adequate budgetary provision will be made in 2019-20 budget and pension should be given with effect from April 1, 2019.

The Chief Minister also instructed Revenue Principal Secretary Rajeshwar Tiwari to commence the process of formation of two more districts namely Mulugu and Narayanpet in accordance with his electoral promises made in the Assembly elections. He told the revenue secretary to initiate the process of formation of Korutla new revenue division and Ghattuppal Mandal in Nalgonda district, Mallampally Mandal in Bhupalapally district. KCR also suggested that the existing Gundala Mandal in Jangoan district should now be merged into Yadadri Bhuvangiri district.

The Chief Minister further instructed the concerned officers that the Bathukamma sarees should be distributed from December 19.