Will implement new PR Act effectively and ensure funds to

The Telangana government would implement the new Panchayat Raj Act effectively and provide funds to the rural local bodies every month as part of efforts to transform villages in the state as ideal villages in the country, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said on Friday.

Rao, who was speaking in the Assembly during a short discussion on the state government's 'Palle Pragathi' (progress of villages) programme, also said power tariff and property tax hike would be effected, sparing the poor.

"We will implement it (new Panchayat Raj Act) 100 per cent. We will achieve the desired results. There is no doubt about it. We have included it in the Budget. We have said in the Budget how we will give funds," he said.

The state government would get Rs 1,847 crore from the Centre for the coming financial year (towards development of rural areas) and the state government has decided to give, for the first time in the history of the state, an equal amount of Rs 1,847 crore, he said.

The state government would ensure that Gram Panchayats receive funds every month, he said.

With the intention to transform villages in Telangana as ideal villages in the country, the state government is implementing the Comprehensive Village Policy, he said in a statement on the 'Palle Pragathi' programme.

Observing that the government has taken many measures to transform the village set-up in the state, he said 'Palle Pragathi' special awareness and sensitisation programmes in villages have been conducted in two phases as part of the measures.

Talking about the new Panchayat Raj Act, it said Act clearly mentions the duties and functions of officers and elected representatives, he said.

"The government desires to see the rural areas to flourish with greenery and every village with cleanliness. It unveiled new tradition of evolving annual and five-year plans for transforming their respective villages in grand manner," he said.

The government increased accountability in governance by including stringent measures in the Act to take action on the officers and elected representatives who show negligence in their duties, he added.

Rao also said hike in power tariff and property tax is needed to ensure quality of services.