TIRUPATI: The Chittoor District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) meeting was held on Saturday at the conference hall of the district secretariat. The meeting was chaired by Chittoor Member of Parliament Daggumalla Prasad Rao, in which District Collector K Sumit Kumar also took part.

Speaking on the occasion, MP Prasad Rao underlined the need for officials to work in coordination to ensure the effective implementation of Central government schemes and to prepare proposals for the district’s comprehensive development. He directed officials to submit well-researched proposals through the District Collector for securing funds for various sectors, including agriculture, animal husbandry, horticulture, road construction, and healthcare.

The MP stressed the importance of utilizing allocated funds efficiently and ensuring industrial and employment opportunities for the unemployed through MSMEs and bank loans. He also called for the proper selection of eligible beneficiaries under central and state welfare schemes, including reservations for SC/ST communities.

Collector Sumit Kumar reported that under NREGA, 75 lakh workdays had already been created against a target of 90 lakh. He highlighted an allocation of Rs.150 crore for material components, with Rs.100 crore earmarked for 1,600 road construction projects. He also mentioned ongoing projects for pond and pipeline construction in Punganur constituency and directed the Panchayati Raj Department to accelerate CC road construction in SC constituencies.

Under the MPLAD funds, Rs.5 crore had been sanctioned, with 60 percent of projects completed and payments being processed.

Monthly reviews were being conducted on CC roads, compound walls, overhead tanks, and drinking water facilities. The SC and BC Corporations were providing subsidized loans, with Rs. 30 crore allocated through the BC Corporation and Rs. 15 crore through the SC Corporation.

The meeting also reviewed the utilisation of MPLAD funds, NREGA projects, horticulture initiatives, industrial development, corporation loans, education, healthcare and food security. ZP CEO Ravi Kumar Naidu, PR & RWS SEs Chandrasekhar Reddy and Vijay Kumar, DWMA and Housing PDs Ravi Kumar and Gopal Naik, DEO Varalakshmi, DM&HO Dr DT Sudha Rani and Municipal Corporation Commissioner Narasimha Prasad among others were present.