Five-year-plan needed to develop villages: KCR

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Wednesday said a five-year plan should be prepared for the development of villages in the state. "The CM said that every village by accessing the resources within the village and the needs of the village should prepare a five-year plan for the village. He said that in accordance with the village plan the village works are to be taken up," a release from his office said.

Rao was speaking at an interactive session with resource persons (trainers who are government employees or from NGOs) who would be imparting training to the newly-elected Sarpanches and village secretaries in the state. In the first phase, the plan should give importance to greenery, sanitation, construction of crematorium and collection of taxes pertaining to the village, he said.

The resource persons are expected to give suggestions to Sarpanches and village secretaries in the preparation of the plan, he said. During the meeting, Rao suggested imposing fine for throwing garbage on the roads.

"In the villages, sanitation should be given priority. Streets should look like mirrors. Under any circumstances, garbage should not be seen on roads. If anybody throws garbage on the roads, they should be fined with not less than Rs 500 penalty," the release quoted him as saying. "Tricycles are to be arranged for collecting garbage from houses. Dumping yards are to be organised. Dormented borewells are to be filled. There should not be water logging anywhere. And weed plants are to be removed," Rao said.

Emphasising on the importance of greenery, he said there should be a nursery in every village. Rao said the required funds and responsibilities would be allotted to the village panchayats.

Since activities like drinking water and power supply and roads are being directly handled by the state government, the village panchayats should concentrate more on village cleanliness, sanitation, greenery and construction of crematoriums, he said. "CM made it very clear that the government would be very liberal in devolving and delegating the powers as well as in providing funds, but at the same time if either the funds are misused or if they are negligent in discharging their duties, the sarpanches and or the secretaries would be suspended in accordance with the provisions of new panchayat raj act," he said.

Rao also said 25 teams would be formed to conduct surprise checks to see how funds are being spent. He said he would also be part of a team. Helicopters would be provided to reach far off places, according to the release. Explaining the duties of village panchayat, he said taxes are to be collected 100 per cent.

"Taxes are to be collected cent percent. Action will be initiated against erring secretaries for not collecting the taxes. Sarpanches are to essentially stay in the villages and mingle with the locals," he said. Talking about provision of funds to the villages, he said that, in a span of five years, about Rs 40,000 to Rs 45,000 crores would be at the disposal of all the villages "with which wonders can be done".

Rao condemned the incident that took place in Pediripadu village of Maddur Mandal in Mahabubnagar district where the newly-elected sarpanch Balappa was made to sit on the floor, while others were seated on the chairs, the release said. He said it is a serious matter and that the government would take steps to see that such incidents are not repeated in future.

While imparting training to the resource persons, Rao turned out to be a teacher, explaining about the village panchayat act, roles and responsibilities and duties of village panchayat, ways and means to mobilize funds, methodology to spend, ethics of people's representatives and responsibilities of resource persons, the release said. During the process of explaining various aspects, Rao often stated Telugu poems. He also quoted from the Bhagavad Gita and also texts in Telugu literature.

He made a special mention of persons and organizations who worked very hard for the development of villages in the country. He talked about Rajamouli who was responsible for the development of Gangadevipalli village in Telangana as a model village. PTI SJR ABH

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