The Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao gave a call to develop Telangana villages as model villages in the country in such a way that others will emulate from Telangana. He called for implementing the 30-day action plan successfully. CM expressed the hope that after completion of 30-day action plan the topography of the villages should change for better and the festival Dussera should be celebrated in cleanly atmosphere. CM said that as part of bringing a qualitative change in the villages the government has devolved powers, funds and responsibilities to the village panchayats. He said that not only for the villages but also for the Zilla Parishads and Mandal Parishads these were devolved. He said the responsibility to make success of 30-day action plan lies with the villagers. He said that every villager should turn in to a real hero of that village and by offering sramadan develops villages wherever necessary. He expressed confidence that if only people and their representatives work together with commitment, then the development of villages is certain. CM said that the government wishes that the process should be a continuous one and a beginning has to be made with 30-day action plan. He said that he is pleading with folded hands that the collectors should take lead and lead the action plan implementation and along with them the Panchayat Raj officers should work with commitment. CM said that to assist Collector government would soon appoint special officers with deputy collector rank and for Panchayat Raj exclusively there would be one such officer. CM said the way he thinks that he is the chief public servant of the state, officers also should have the same feeling at their respective levels.
The CM made it clear that in accordance with the election promise the retirement age of state government employees will be enhanced to either 60 or 61. CM said that in every department the promotion chart of employees has to be prepared and make it known to them when exactly they get their promotion. CM also suggested that the employees should withdraw cases against each other since the government is ready to give promotions to all eligible. He said if necessary, the government will create supernumery posts. CM said that Vikarabad district will be clubbed with Charminar zone here after.
The CM KCR participated in the 30-day action plan implementation preparatory meeting as Chief Guest at Telangana State Institute of Rural Development on Tuesday and provided the required guidance to the participants. Panchayat Raj Minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao and other Ministers, Chief Secretary SK Joshi, Chief Advisor Rajiv Sharma, TRS Parliamentary party Leader Dr K Keshav Rao, Vice Chairman Planning Commission B Vinod Kumar, senior officers, MPs, MLAs, MLCs, Collectors, DPOs, DFOs, CEOs. DLPOs etc. participated in the meeting.
“The Telangana State Government has brought in major administrative reforms. It formed new districts, new divisions and new mandals. Thandas, Gudems and habitations became special Panchayats. Gram Panchayats number increased from 8690 to 12751. As many as 3146 ST candidates got the opportunity to become Sarpanches. The rural administrative departments have become advantageous to implement the government programmes. The average population of the rural district in Telanagana is 6.33 Lakh, for mandal it is 37,625, and the average population in village is only 1590. The state government has brought in the New Panchayat Raj Act as an extension of administrative reforms to enable officials to give better services and to give total clarity on the duties, responsibilities and funds” said the Chief Minister KCR.
Honorable Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao clarified that the new Panchayat Raj Act was brought in to restore past glory to the Panchayat Raj System, whose movement surged like a wave, to give extensive participation of people in the village development and progress, to pave way for development based on planning, turning villages into clean and green places, spending funds in a planned manner with prudence, to give transparent and active administration and to fix responsibility and accountability to the officials and elected representatives.
The CM advised that the Gram Panchayats should give more importance to develop greenery and cleanliness in the villages with people’s participation than indulging in daydreaming.
“At the village, the government is directly handling several works. The government is providing safe and pure drinking water through the Mission Bhagiratha. Electricity department is giving uninterrupted power supply, Agriculture department is taking care schemes like Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bhima and tanks are rejuvenated under Mission Kakatiya. The government is providing stimulus for the villages’ financial strength. The government is supplying fine rice cooked meal to the school students. The government is providing nutritious food through the Anganwadi centres. Through Fair Price Shops, rice and other essential commodities are supplied by the government. Schemes like Kalyan Lakshmi, Aasara pensions and KCR Kits are implemented by the government machinery. The government is also taking up construction of bridges, roads, government buildings without passing on the burden to the gram panchayats,” the CM explained.
“Against this backdrop, the gram panchayats have definite roles and important duties to discharge. Increasing the participation of people, keeping the cleanliness, maintaining greenery, preparing one year and five-year plans, spending funds with prudence, collecting the taxes without fail, paying the electricity bills on time, managing the street lights properly are to be taken-up by Gram Panchayats” the CM said.
The CM said if people take up the responsibility on mission mode and people’s movement mode, good results can be obtained and there were several examples to show. He said that “If people, public representatives join together then transformation possible. Mahatma Gandhi gave a clarion call on Gram Swaraj during the freedom movement. SK Day was instrumental in giving birth to Panchayat Raj institution for the rural development. Bhandrarkar taught the people on how to do agriculture on uneven lands in the Konkani region. Vanrai Society in Maharastra has voluntarily constructed Vaikunta Dhams in the villages. Gangadevi Pally became an ideal village thanks to Kusam Rajamouli. There are 26 Committees in Gangadevi Pally. Ankapur Village in Nizamabad district stands as an example for the women empowerment as well as the united efforts of people,” the CM explained with examples.
The CM said the state government has become a role model by fulfilling its responsibilities before fixing duties and responsibilities to each and every person for the 30-day Special Action Plan implementation in the villages.
“The government has brought in the New Panchayat Raj Act. All the vacancies in the Panchayat Raj department have been filled on a war footing. Gram Panchayats are given Rs 339 Crore per month from out of central finance commission funds and state funds together. A Clause is made in the Act so that the unspent funds from one year can be brought forward to the next year. Keeping in view how Safai Karmacharis workers are working on meagre salaries, the government has increased the salary to Rs 8,500 per month benefitting 36,000 Safai Karmacharis workers. Facility is provided to buy tractors for the watering the plants and transportation of garbage. The Act will not allow minister to grant stay on suspensions decided by collector on the Sarpanches for their dereliction of duties. Clarity is given under Act on the duties and responsibilities of the Sarpanches and officers. The government has decided to extend the reservation to ten years for those performing well” the CM said.
“Implement Special Action for 30 days beginning from Sept 6. Collectors should convene a meeting at the district level to prepare administration for the programme. Appoint one Mandal level officer to monitor the programme in every village. Collector will monitor the programme at the district level, Mandal Panchayat Officer at the mandal level and special officer at the village level,” the CM said.
The CM also explained at length about the day-to-day agenda during the 30-day Action Programme.
“On the first day, convene Gram Sabha meeting and read out the CM’s message. In the Gram Sabha, explain in detail to the people about the reasons, importance and need for the 30-days Special Action Plan and its implementation. Explain the government’s objectives. Invite people’s participation in the Special Action Plan and seek their suggestions for the one year and five-year plans” said CM
“On the second day, Co-option members should be elected and elections should also be held for the Village Standing Committees. Sarpanches family members are barred from getting elected as the Co-Option members. Elect Co-option members in accordance with the ACT and guidelines” said CM.
The CM suggested that villages plan should be prepared based on what the needs in the villages and what are the resources available. Taking into other such issues and other such related matters, things will be evaluated and they should be reflected in the Village Plan. Prepare One Year Plan comprising the works to be done in that year and also prepare five-year plans. Gram Sabhas should pass these one-year and five-year plans of the village concerned. Funds will be spent only on the basis of the Plans passed by the Gram Sabhas said CM.
30 days Action Plan Consists of:
Managing Sanitation
• Remove dilapidated houses, animal sheds and debris
• Cover all the unused borewells, fill-up and level the low-lying areas so that water is not stagnated nor it becomes a breeding place for the mosquitoes.
• Clean up all the government buildings, like Schools and Anganwadis, offices etc.,
• Remove all the wild and unwanted vegetation
• Clean all the roads
• Repair drains, clean drainages and remove waste from the drains
• Bleach the unhygienic places
• Remove the stagnant water
• Encourage villagers to participate in Shramadan at least twice a month.
• Clean Shandy and market places
• Arrange tractors to transport saplings and remove of the garbage
• Identify land in all the villages to create a dumping yard. Incase, the government land is not available purchase a private land with the Panchayat Funds for the purpose.
• Identify land to construct a cremation ground
• Prepare plans to have 100 per cent toilets in the village
• Select a suitable land for having permanent plant nursery in the village, as the gram panchayats run these nurseries.
• Identify land in all the villages to create a dumping yard. In case, the government land is not available purchase a private land with the Panchayat Funds for the purpose.
• Remove garbage and put it in the dumping yard and make compost
• Levy Rs 500 fine for those dumping garbage on roads and in public places
• Identify land to construct a cremation ground
• Prepare plans to have 100 per cent toilets in the village
Greenery
• Select a suitable land for having permanent plant nursery in the village, as the gram panchayats run these nurseries.
• Forest Range Officer should extend technical services for the upkeep and maintenance of the nurseries
• Forest department can have their own nurseries with special plant species along with the 12, 751 Gram Panchayat Haritha Haram nurseries
• Identify the saplings with the help of the Agriculture Extension officers about the plants needed for the Village farmers. Gram Panchayat should collect indent for the supply of fruit bearing and flower plants to the households. Distribute Tamarind, blueberry etc., and saplings.
• Keep more plants than those supplied to replace them with the plants that are dead.
• Gram Panchayat should also identify lands within the gram Panchayat, on the village borders and either side of the roads. Based on these inputs, the gram Panchayat should prepare a Green Plan (Haritha Plan). This green plan should also be approved by the Gram Panchayat.
• Haritha Plan should be prepared in consultation with the District Green Committee
• Gram Panchayats besides planting the saplings should take responsibility for the protection of them.
Power Week
• 7 days should exclusively be utilised under the 30-day programme for the electricity related issues.
• Arrive at a figure on how much electricity is used for lighting the streetlights. Fix the meters. Put up a third line for the streetlights. Use of LED bulbs is a must.
• Rectify or replace the twisted electricity poles, remove the hanging electricity wires. Remove wood and iron poles and replace them with the Cement ones.
• Ensure that streetlights are not on during the daytime. Street lights should be on from 6 Pm to 6.30 PM during the winter and on other days from 7 Pm to 5.30 AM
Ways to raise funds
• From the State Government’s Budget
• From the Central Finance Commission
• From the general taxes of the Gram Panchayat
• Funds from NREGA
• CSR Funds
• Funds from donors
• Works done by the villagers through Sramadan
Flying Squads
• 100 flying squads with senior officers will be formed all over the state. These squads will go in for surprise visits to the gram panchayats after the 30-day programme
• Those villages, which reached the target, will be rewarded while those fail to reach the target will be punished.
