Palle Pragathi scheme to be launched in January

Sircilla (Karimnagar): Panchayat Raj Minister K Taraka Rama Rao said here on Thursday the State government will construct warehouses at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore for the benefit of farmers.

Taraka Rama Rao laid foundation stones for various developmental works in Sircilla Assembly constituency on Thursday. Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said farmers were facing crisis as the paddy cultivated was damaged due to unseasonal rains. Hence, the government had decided to construct warehouses to enable the farmers to store the produce in them. He said the government was committed for the welfare of farmers.

The Minister laid foundation stones for several roads at Yellaredypet mandal.

Later, he laid a stone for an IKP godown at Venkatapur village.

He inaugurated a bypass road at Sircilla and took part in Christmas celebrations at Sivanagar. The Minister inspected the land for setting up water grid project at Agraharam in Vemulawada mandal.

Refuting the allegations of opposition on food security cards and pensions, Taraka Rama Rao said food security cards and pensions would be provided to all eligible persons in the State. He said the previous Congress government in united Andhra Pradesh had allocated only Rs 700 crore for pensions in Telangana. The TRS government had increased the budgetary allocations for pensions to Rs 3,800 crore. The government was even ready to spend another Rs 200 crore to Rs 300 crore on pensions, he stated. He said the government had identified three crore pensioners under different categories.

The Minister announced that the government would launch a new scheme Palle Pragathi in January. He said developmental programmes would be taken up in 150 mandals in the State under the scheme. World Bank funds to the tune of Rs 650 crore would be spent under the scheme during the next five years. It had been proposed to set up milk grids in villages. He said the State government is committed to empowering women.