Hyderabad: Ministerfor IT and Industries Duddilla Sridhar Babu on Sunday called upon newly elected Sarpanches to transform villages into ‘digital villages’ to ensure efficient and transparent delivery of civic services at the village level.

At a felicitation programme for newly elected Sarpanches of the united Rangareddy district in Shamshabad, the minister said strong villages are the cornerstone of India’s democracy. He added that empowered and well-governed villages are key to the progress of States and the nation.

Urging Sarpanches to act as a responsible bridge between the government and the people, Sridhar Babu said they must work with commitment and integrity so that, by the end of their tenure, villagers could proudly say their village had undergone a complete transformation.

According to the minister, the State government would extend full support to gram panchayats in adopting digital technologies and strengthening governance systems. Reiterating the government’s commitment to Gram Swaraj, he said substantial funds would be allocated to village panchayats in the coming days.

Emphasising transparent delivery of welfare and development schemes, he said benefits must reach the last person in every village. He also asked Sarpanches to accord priority to basic infrastructure such as cement roads, drainage systems and street lighting, while closely monitoring the functioning of schools, Anganwadi centres and Primary Health Centres.

Referring to the difficulties faced by Sarpanches earlier due to pending bills, Sridhar Babu said the government was taking steps to clear outstanding dues in a phased manner and reaffirmed that all assurances made before the elections would be fulfilled.

The minister also announced that the government would organise phased, structured training programmes for Sarpanches to enhance their administrative and leadership capacities.

The programme was attended by MLAs Malreddy Ranga Reddy, Kasireddy Narayana Reddy, Veerlapalli Shankar, Rammohan Reddy and Manohar Reddy. Ranga Reddy DCC president Challa Narasimha Reddy and Vikarabad DCC president Dhara Singh, along with other party leaders and newly elected sarpanches, were also present.