Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has announced his resolve to conduct surprise visits to the villages to get first hand information about the progress of works launched there as part of Palle Pragathi, the programme aimed at strengthening the infrastructure at the village level.
The ambitious programme for the all-round development of villages should not turn into an event for photo-ops for officials and ministers and they should work for improvement of greenery and sanitation at the ground level with utmost commitment. The government was planning to launch Pattana Pragathi soon for improving the civic infrastructure in towns and cities taking inspiration from the works launched under the Palle Pragathi.
The Chief Minister expressed displeasure at the way some ministers, district collectors and public representatives were getting photographed while sweeping the village streets.
Photo opportunity
“Posing for photographs is not proper. It is not their duty to sweep the villages. There are people designated for the work and the government has appointed adequate staff to carry out these work and ministers and others should effectively supervise the work being done by them not just for namesake participation in the programme,” the Chief Minister said.
Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao reviewed the progress of works launched under the Palle Pragathi programme with ministers E. Dayakar Rao, A. Indrakaran Reddy and Satyavati Rathod and senior officials headed by government’s chief adviser Rajiv Sharma and Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar on Sunday. He said the government had launched the Palle Pragathi programme with an aim to improve the infrastructure at the grass root level.
Funds available
The government had filled vacancies in the Panchayat Raj Department and appointed secretaries to all villages besides enhancing salaries to the staff. Steps had been taken to release ₹ 339 crore every month for taking up works at the village level and tractors were being procured for taking up works in each village. “The works like maintenance of cleanliness and sanitation should continue on a daily basis and it should not be a one off event. I have decided to conduct surprise checks to ensure this,” he averred.
The officials informed the Chief Minister that nurseries had been set up in 12,705 of the total 12,751 villages and 6,017 tractors had been purchased so far while orders were placed for purchasing another 4,534 vehicles. Drains spanning 62,976 km were cleaned and patchwork on roads was completed at 56,050 locations as part of the programme implemented in two phases.
