KCR unveils action plan for Telangana villages

In a meeting at Pragathi Bhavan on August 30 with several Ministers, Collectors, DPOs, CEOs and MPDOs representing three districts and senior officers Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao announced to implement a 30-day Special Action Plan in all villages from September 6, for all-round development of villages.

To provide a comprehensive understanding for effective and proper implementation of the Special Action Plan, Chandrashekar Rao is addressing the broad-based and extended meeting with all concerned Panchayat Raj officers in the State at the Telangana Academy of Rural Development in Hyderabad on September 3.

Ministers, State-level officers, Collectors, DFOs, ZP CEOs, MPDOs, DPOs, DLOs and MPOs are participating in the meeting. This will be followed by another meeting at the district level for concerned district panchayat officers by Collector to sensitise them on the Action Plan.

The Chief Minister announced hike in wages of 36,000 Safai Karmacharees in villages, from meagre amounts to Rs 8,500 per month. The Chief Minister also announced release of Rs 339 crore per month out of the Central Planning Commission funds and the State funds to village panchayats prior to the commencement of the Special Action Plan.

The Chief Minister directed the District Collectors to depute one Mandal-level officer in each village as in-charge to monitor the Special Action Plan implementation for all the 30 days.

The Chief Minister also decided to finalise duties and responsibilities of the Mandal and Zilla Parishads after receiving recommendation in this regard from the Collectors to make the local bodies more proactive.

The Chief Minister gave a call that all the concerned should work with dedication, determination and commitment to change the topography of villages for better, with full of greenery and cleanliness, with the planned based development, better utilisation of funds with prudence and participation of people with democratic spirit.

He said that the 30-day Special Action Plan should pave way to achieve the expected goal of changing the situation in all villages. The Chief Minister said though, initially, it was decided to implement the Special Action Plan for 60 days, based on the feedback from the officials, it was changed to 30 days.

He said this effort to develop the villages in a comprehensive manner would be a regular and continuous feature. Based on deliberations in the meeting, Chandrashekar Rao announced activities to be undertaken and tasks to be fulfilled in the 30-day Special Action Plan.

On the first day, Gram Sabha will be convened, where the participants will be explained in detail about the idea behind, the need, objectives and the importance of the Special Action Plan as well as process of implementation.

People's participation in the Special Action Plan with the spirit of democracy will be emphasised in the Gram Sabha.

On the second day, Co-option members will be nominated and also formation of Village Standing Committees. Sarpanches' family members are not eligible to become Co-option members.

Subsequently, Village Plan will be prepared based on the needs and resources available. It comprises of annual plan and plan for five years. These plans should have the approval of Gram Sabha.

As part of managing sanitation, removal of dilapidated houses, animal sheds and debris will be taken-up. All unused borewells will be covered. Filling-up and leveling low-lying areas will also be done so that water is not stagnated and do not become a breeding place for mosquitoes.

All government buildings, like schools and Anganwadis, office complexes etc. will be cleaned. Weeding out wild and unwanted vegetation and plants will be done. Cleaning of roads, repairing and cleaning drainages, removal of waste from the drains, bleaching the un-hygienic places, removal of stagnant water, cleaning of marketplaces will be taken-up one after the other.

Villagers are to be encouraged and motivated to participate in Sramadan at least twice a month. Tractors with trollies and tankers to be provided for transport of saplings, removal of the garbage and watering plants.

Space will be identified in all villages for dumping yards and crematoriums which could be either a government land or by way of purchase from Panchayat Raj funds. Cent per cent toilets in the village are being planned.

Telangana ku Haritha Haram to be a treated as top priority item. Nurseries will be established in every village for which suitable land will be identified. Technical help to run these nurseries will be obtained from concerned Forest Range Officer.

Gram Panchayat should organise indents for the supply of fruit bearing and flower plants to the households. Gram Panchayat should also identify lands within the Gram Panchayat, on village borders and either side of the roads.

Based on these inputs, the Gram Panchayat should prepare a Green Plan (Haritha Plan) in consultation with the district and mandal green committees. As part of Power Week, seven days should exclusively be utilised under the 30-day programme for the electricity related issues.

Power usage for streetlights in the village to be estimated. A third line for streetlight will be put-up. Use of LED bulbs will be made obligatory. The twisted electricity poles are to be rectified and the hanging electricity wires are to be removed.

Wood and iron poles will be replaced with cement poles. Gram Panchayat should ensure that streetlights are off during the daytime and switched on Street lights should be on during nights.

Utilisation of funds is very important aspect. Village Panchayats all put together will be provided with funds to the tune of Rs 339 crore per month from both Central Finance Commission and State budget. Besides these, the Gram Panchayat will have its own income.

10 per cent of the funds should be utilised for the greenery component. Funds utilisation should be strictly based on one year and five-year plans. Debts if any, salaries booked against village panchayat funds, electricity bills etc. are to be included in charged accounts.

Chief Minister in the August 30 meeting said, "Situation in the villages did not improve much, despite attaining independence 72 years ago. Despite spending thousands of crores of rupees, in different forms the results are not visible. Village problems are still there.

Nobody is taking responsibility for this. Improving conditions in the villages with the people's participation in true democratic spirit is the need of hour. There should be a qualitative change. This is the reason why we brought in a new Panchayat Raj Act.

We have identified clear-cut roles, duties and responsibilities for officials and public representatives. We have also defined as to who should attend to what work. We have given adequate powers to collectors.

We have allocated necessary funds in the Budget. The government is committed to implement the Act in true letter and spirit.

Let each villager become the real hero of the village. The 30-day action plan is the first step towards this." KCR thus unveiled the action plan for development of villages.

(The writer is CPRO to the Chief Minister of Telangana. Views expressed are personal)