CM KCR declared to strengthened local bodies for rural development
Telangana:Hyderabad: February 9 ( HS) Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao declared that local bodies would be strengthened and they would be made to play an active role in the rural development. He said the Zilla Parishads and Mandal Parishads would be given funds like the Gram Panchayats and they would be assigned with the fixed responsibilities.
He also made it clear that Zilla and Mandal Parishads would be allocated funds in the State’s budget of 2021-2022. He said the New Panchayat Raj Act had empowered the gram panchayats with the power to utilize their funds totally without taking any permission from the Mandal and District level officials. He wanted this should be implemented effectively.
“The government has taken a decision to strengthen the local bodies and implementing it. As part of this, the Finance Commission is releasing funds directly to the gram panchayats and municipalities. Every month Gram Panchayats are released Rs 308 Crore and Municipalities Rs 148 Crore. Since there is no dearth of funds, programmes like Palle Pragathi and Pattana Pragathi are successfully implemented. Villages have now dump yards, Tractors, Plant nurseries and Vaikunta Dhams. In a similar way, special funds from the finance commission would be released to Zilla and Mandal Parishads. If these funds are linked with the MNREGA more funds can be accrued. Fix responsibilities to Zilla and Mandal Parishads besides releasing funds. Officials should suggest what kind of responsibility should be given to Zilla and Mandal Parishads” the CM said.
“We have incorporated conditions in the new Act for the Gram Panchayats to spend their funds totally. But in some places, for more than Rs 2 Lakh worth works, the old rule of taking permission from the Mandal officers is being implemented. This is against the new Act. The Gram Panchayats have every right to spend funds for the needs of their villages. No one should interfere in this. On this matter, the official should clarify once again,” the CM, said.
Minister Indrakaran Reddy, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, Principal Secretary (Panchayat Raj) Sandeep Sultania, Principal Secretary (Finance) Ramakrishna Rao, Commissioner Raghunandan Rao, Deputy Commissioner Rama Rao, CM Secretary Ms Smita Sabharwal, Government Whips Guvvala Balraju, Balka Suman, MLAS Sandra Venkata Veeraiah, G Chinnaiah, Divakar Rao, Shankar Naik, Harshavardhan Reddy, Adilabad former ZP Chairman Satynarayan Goud and others participated.
