Implementation of GO 188 key for natural resource protection: DPO Nagaraju Naidu
District Panchayat Officer T Nagaraju Naidu along with officials during a meeting in Anantapur on Thursday
Anantapur: A two-day “Conference of Panchayats” on the implementation of GO 188 and strengthening the role of Gram Panchayats in conserving common resources concluded in Anantapur on Wednesday.
The workshop, jointly organised by the District Panchayat Office and the Foundation for Ecological Security (FES), was inaugurated by District Panchayat Officer T Nagaraju Naidu at Masineni Grand on September 17.
Addressing the gathering, DPO Nagaraju Naidu emphasized that Gram Panchayats, being constitutionally mandated local self-governments, must take full responsibility for planning and implementing welfare and development initiatives.
He stressed that agriculture, livestock, and livelihoods in rural areas are directly supported by common resources, which should be preserved with active community participation. GO 188, issued by the Andhra Pradesh Government in 2011, classifies common assets into three categories: panchayat-owned properties such as roads, drainage, markets, parks, and layouts; assets acquired through donations or transfers; and natural resources under panchayat custody including water bodies, tanks, canals, grazing lands, cremation grounds, and poramboke lands.