Devise schemes for rural growth

kcr’s Mission Development

Hyderabad: In a strategic move, the state government proposes to lay special focus on rural development and clean villages. It vows to come up with small schemes for improving the living standards of the rural folk.

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who held a marathon eight-hour meeting with District Collectors at Pragathi Bhavan here on Sunday, directed them to design exclusive programmes for the benefit of rural people.

He said the government would allocate Rs 5 crore each to District Collectors as a contingency fund. The Collectors should use this money to solve the issues and problems brought to their notice from time to time.

The Collectors have been told to take care of orphans. Provide them with good education and accommodation and launch exclusive schools for them. Referring to the recently-announced policy of giving pension for single women, he asked the Collectors to Identify single women in villages and offer them protection.

The Chief Minister said that since the size of a district has become smaller, the Collectors should organise ‘Mana Vooru-Mana Pranalika’ (Our Village-Our Plan) once again and collect data regarding living conditions of the people in the villages.

Fulfill their needs in a phased manner and select the beneficiaries by draw of lots, he advised the Collectors. In order to improve the economic conditions of the rural people, KCR asked the Collectors to ensure that order for school uniforms were placed with the local tailors only.

Laying emphasis on creating basic infrastructure facilities, he said attention should be laid on hostels and hospitals and ensure that good facilities were provided. Nothing is impossible if you work with commitment and dedication. Telangana separate statehood movement has proved this. Another living example is Mission Bhagiratha Programme.

“Collectors should provide leadership, map the local resources and tap the wealth. Make the people stake holders for the successful implementation of the programmes. The fruits of making smaller districts should reach the people. Aim should be strengthening the rural economy. There should be a qualitative change among the SCs and STs. Special programmes formulated for the BCs should be implemented with commitment and dedication,” he added.

The Chief Minister said Telangana has more rural region. Special focus should put on strengthening the rural economy. Identify human resource through Resource Mapping. There are 25 lakh Yadavs in the State. They have expertise in Sheep rearing. There is no need for them to get trained. This is the reason why we have decided to give more encouragement to sheep breeding.

It is painful that though we have 25 lakh sheep breeders, we are importing 500 truckloads of sheep from the neighbouring states. A stage should come where the state would start exporting the sheep. This will strengthen our rural economy. “A new Sheep rearing policy should be announced in the state and the officials should get prepared for this,” the CM said.

He told the Collectors to take all measures to identify the artisans from Jangaon-Pembarthy and the filigree Artists from Karimnagar who are world famous for their artistic skills. They should be encouraged, KCR said. The Chief Minister also emphasised on fish breeding and said it should be taken up on a large-scale. Water is brimming in the lakes and ponds due to Mission Kakatiya programme.

These water resources will be ideal for fish breeding. Utilise the water available at several barrages and reservoirs planned in the state for fisheries. Prepare a comprehensive action plan for fish breeding at all the barrages, reservoirs and tanks. Many new methods and techniques are available now, utilise the,” the CM said.

He said the existing practice of doing hair cut, shaving under the tree or on a road side should be done away with. He called upon the collectors to provide hitech hair Cutting Saloons in rural areas. With latest Saloons, there will be a makeover in the villages too, the CM said.

KCR said SCs constitute 16-17 per cent and STs 10 per cent of the population. Women constitute 50 per cent. SCs were kept outside the village and STs were confined to their Thandas or Gudems. The women were confined to the kitchen which results in wasting of about 75 per cent of human resource.

Special funds will be provided for the STs and Dalits. “We will offer carry forward facilities to these funds but it is for the collectors to Prepare district-wise plans for SCs/STs. All proposals from the district should come before we present the State’s Budget in the Legislative Assembly,” he added.