Chief Minister K.Chandrasekhar Rao has categorically spelt out that implementation of government policies aimed at people’s welfare and development alone should be the priority of the district administration.
Addressing the conference of District Collectors and Additional Collectors at Pragathi Bhavan here on Tuesday, Mr. Rao spoke at length about government’s vision, priorities and responsibilities. Government would bring in several Acts, formulate programmes, keeping in view the ground realities and after a detailed discussion in the Legislature, debates and intellectual deliberations as well as consultations with experts on the matters.
In a parliamentary democracy, decisions of the government elected by the people should be implemented in right earnest by the administration, he asserted.
The Chief Minister directed the Collectors to organise Panchayat Raj Sammelan in the next 15 days by inviting Sarpanches, village secretaries, MPTCs, MPPS, ZPTCs and explain to them how to develop villages. People’s representatives from ministers to ZP chairmen should be invited as chief guests and Collectors should talk about duties and responsibilities of representatives of local bodies. They should be given 10 days time to show improvement in upkeep of villages and in 25 days, total transformation should be seen under the ‘Palle Pragathi’ programme. It should not be considered as a special drive but as a continuous process, he said.
He said State-wide inspections would be taken up. “Even, I will come for inspections. Action will be taken if any village is not up to the mark. Incentives and awards will be given to those who keep their villages well,” he said. Chief Minister said Collectors were vested with powers to take action against those who neglected their duties and a tribunal was set up to prevent litigation. After all these, if desired change was not witnessed in villages, government would not tolerate apathy. One of the Additional Collectors would totally focus on local bodies.
Mr.Rao disclosed that government would start ‘Pattana Pragathi’ programmes soon on the lines of ‘Palle Pragathi’ and an action plan would be formulated. Like in Panchayat Raj, government would fill all vacancies in the Municipal department, he said and sought a report on number of vacancies to be filled.
He said pollution was becoming a serious issue and proactive measures be taken to protect Hyderabad, which was rated as the best liveable city, from pollution by taking up afforestation around 1.6 lakh acres of land in and around the State capital. He said the State was leading in many aspects but lagging behind in literacy. Every Collector should strive to make his/her district totally literate. The literacy rate should be recorded in the census data.
Recalling the achievements after the formation of Telangana in overcoming power crisis, extending 24x7 power supply, implementing Mission Bhagiratha for drinking water supply to every household, successful progress of work on irrigation projects, implementation of welfare schemes worth ₹40,000 crore annually and reorganisation of districts, divisions, mandals and panchayats for better administration, Mr.Chandrasekhar Rao said now the priority of the government was clean and green villages and cities.
