AP Govt has defined robust norms 

Unlike Sreemanthudu style holistic development of villages envisaged

Bundameedapalle (Anantapur): Bundameedapalle village in Raptadu mandal with a population of 3,500 and 950 households is a lucky village apart from Narsimpalle village in Tadimarri mandal among the 700 odd villages adopted by officials and people's representatives and a few celebrities. The state government has given five years time to those who adopted the villages to usher in development.

Development by the definition of state government may not be exactly like the 'Sreemanthudu style' where development has a glaringly visible face. The government uses the word 'soft indicators' and 'hard indicators' for achieving development. The government says that in 'Sreemanthudu film' there are hard indicators which are clearly visible in the form of good roads, hospital and school buildings and community hall etc.

Joint Collector B Lakshmikantham who adopted the Bundameedapalle village in Raptadu mandal told 'The Hans India' that the government style and definition of development goes far beyond the glaring picture of roads and a few buildings but the government's indicators of development addresses the basic issues of people including pucca housing, protected drinking water, optical fibre connectivity, electricity, child labor-free, child marriages-free, open defecation-free, migration-free, gas connections to all and 100 per cent livelihood arrangement within the village, ensuring soil health, animal health, human resources utilisation, absence of infant mortality and maternal deaths, institutional deliveries and effective monitoring of mother and child health, addressing of nutritional deficiencies to girl children and women.

These apart from many others are called soft indicators which cannot be seen by going around a village, Lakshmikantham observed. If 'Sreemanthudu style' of development is announced, immediately people would like to hear how many hundreds of crores are being pumped in so as to quantify and describe development, here it is not the case. It is no development if the government announced parameters are not part of a village development plan, he adds. These apart, farm ponds and soak pits for water conservation, tree plantation, good and clean roads form part of village development in true terms.

JC Lakshmikantham as part of a 'Smart Village Development' has prepared plans for laying cement roads in village lanes and bylanes and also installing LED bulbs to illuminate the village square. The village of Bundameedapalle is getting a face lift firstly with good roads, clean streets and illumination of the main thoroughfares of the village with LED bulbs. These parameters are non-negotiable for those coming forward to usher in village development.

When asked if the government development concept is different from Srimanthudu Style, the JC responded saying that the government has come up with a broad concept of smart village development even before the release of Sreemanthudu film. In view of the film's popularity, the people inspired by the film may have a different perception of how development should take place. The government indicators addresses in-depth the actual needs, requirements and problems in its totality, he adds.

Trees are being planted involving the people to transform the village into a green village. A village dynamic plan is in place to cover the entire gamut of smart village development. In a couple of months the village will have optical fiber connectivity with internet, telephone and television connectivity to every home in the village.

Bundameedapalle village Sarpanch Sreenivasulu saidr that internal CC roads have been planned for the village and in the next few months roads will be laid at a cost of Rs 40 lakh, a hostel building for the SCs at a cost of Rs 80 lakh is under progress apart from construction of 145 farm ponds so far as part of water conservation measures implemented in the village.

Tree plantation involving students in all seven roads connecting the village for a 3 km stretch each is also in the pipeline. The main demand of the people for supply of Hundri Niva project water for drinking purpose to the village is under consideration as a canal is passing through the village. The water scheme costs Rs 6 crore.

Vinodh Naidu, a B Tech student of the village says that the JC who adopted the village is taking keen interest in addressing issues that are closely connected to achieving gram swaraj. The government parameters to define development are good and if they can be achieved, our village will be a model village, he adds.

Mangamma, an SHG member of the village interacting with 'The Hans India' says that it is a matter of pride that all deliveries in her village are only institutional. There is a close monitoring of the mother-child health. It is true that there are no infant or maternal deaths after JC began taking special interest in our village affairs for over an year.

JC is taking special measures to ensure that all government schemes like pensions, ration cards and housing are all given to the last person in the village on a saturation basis. Except for two officials DGP Ramudu and Anantapur joint collector, others are yet to begin any work worth mentioning.

Celebrities like film actor Vivek Obroi who acted as Paritala Ravi in Raktha Charithra film and Lok Satta president Jayaprakash Narayan apart from a host of dignitaries including government officials, MLAs, MPs and other political leaders and NGOs had come forward to adopt nearly 700 villages in the district.

By Ravi Prasad Benjamin