Funds released for 12 panchayat buildings
He said he requested funds for the construction of buildings for 14 grama panchayats, out of which the state government sanctioned for the construction of 12 panchayats. He further said that the state government sanctioned funds for the construction of buildings for 417 grama panchayats across the state and issued a GO on July 7.
He recalled that he had written a letter to the government to sanction funds for 14 grama panchayats in Guntur district on March 16 this year. He said that the state government sanctioned Rs 32 lakh for the construction of buildings for each grama panchayat in the state. He said that responding to his request, the state government sanctioned funds for the construction of buildings for Narakoduru, Kattempudi, VN Palem, Venkata Krishnapuram, Veerlapalem, Morampudi, Donthaluru, Kunchavaram, Somasundarapalem, Bheeminenivaripalem, Timmapuram, and Nagabhairavapalem panchayats. He thanked Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, deputy chief minister K Pawan Kalyan, Minister for HRD Nara Lokesh, Panchayat Raj Commissioner VR Krishna Teja for sanctioning the funds. He said the move of the government is useful for strengthening the panchayat raj system.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
37 minutes ago
- Time of India
Bharat Bandh sees labourers & farmers gather to protest
New Delhi: On a humid Wednesday afternoon at Jantar Mantar, some students stood quietly while the song "Sirf Kehne Ko Nahi Hai Hindustan Hamara" echoed softly. At Delhi's most well-known protest site, a few hundred people had gathered — labourers, farmers, and some children. The reason for their congregation was the All-India Labour Strike on July 9. Ten unions have sounded their support. The Bharat Bandh was for protesting what participants described as govt policies favouring corporations over workers and farmers. The ten unions that supported the strike are the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC), Trade Union Coordination Centre (TUCC), Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA), All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), Labour Progressive Federation (LPF) and the United Trade Union Congress (UTUC). You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi At Jantar Mantar, when the students were asked if they had not missed school for being at the protest, one of them grinned. "We are accompanying our mothers," he said, and pointed to the daily-wage labourers of Batla House. Among them was 70-year-old Shakuntala of HMS. She was sitting with her grandson. "I work as a daily-wage labourer in a factory, making handmade envelopes. For 1,000 envelopes a day, I earn a meagre Rs 50. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo I've come here today so that my grandchildren won't have to endure the same struggle," she said. Ram Singh, a 71-year-old farmer from Mathura, was there wearing his Kisaan Mahasabha cap. When asked what had brought him to the protest, he spoke about the challenges farmers like him faced. "Many farmers lack financial security as we still depend on informal sources of credit. Another pressing issue is the problem of stray cattle in Uttar Pradesh. With already low productivity, the damage caused by the animals eating our crops makes our situation worse. " Union leaders at the site addressed the 17-point charter submitted to the labour ministry under Union minister Mansukh L. Mandaviya. Among the protesters was Hriday Kumar (65) from Jaunpur. "The strike's call compelled me to join. I've worked in a factory for 15 years on the same wage — not a rupee raised. I wasn't politically active before, but I've decided to step up for my children's future," he said. A cluster of students sang songs honouring Bhagat Singh. Arvind Singh from Baliya stood out for his precise tambourine beats. "This movement is new to me, but playing the dafli has been a childhood passion. People may see it as political, but for me, it's a way to express what I can't say aloud," he said. Among the younger attendees was 27-year-old Shilpi Negi, a bank employee who had her five-year-old daughter with her. Though not active in the All-India Bank Employees Association, she said, "Even in the formal banking sector, we face serious challenges such as inadequate staffing and unfilled vacancies. There's also the looming threat of privatisation, which govt frequently keeps talking about. To be honest privatisation is one of the reasons why I am here today. " Harish Chandra Pant, who was in his 80s, had come from Uttarakhand. A CITU flag rested on his shoulder. Asked what keeps him involved in the movement, he said: "The issues faced by the poor labour class haven't really changed. That's the saddest reality. I've been part of the labour movement since the 1960s. It's disheartening that even now, I'm still fighting for basic rights, like better wages and more workdays under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA). "
Time of India
41 minutes ago
- Time of India
Govt transport facilities lifeline for edu in Maha villages without schools, says minister Bhuse
Pune: Lawmakers seem to have different views about the situation of school education in the state's rural parts. While Parner MLA Kashinath Date recently told the Assembly that 8,123 villages across Maharashtra do not have either primary or upper primary schools, presenting a grim situation for rural education, school education minister Dada Bhuse said the statistics were "partially true" and that children were not missing out on education as the state govt was providing a facility to transport them to nearby villages that have schools. Date had based his statement in the Assembly on statistics from the Union education ministry's Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) that collects data from all recognised and unrecognised schools in India — from pre-primary to Std XII. The data showed that of the 8,123 Maharashtra villages mentioned by UDISE, 1,650 had no primary schools and 6,563 no upper primary schools. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune In his written reply to the Assembly, Bhuse said the statistics were "partially true", because state govt provided services to transport students to nearby villages that have schools. He said: "The children are not missing out on education because of unavailability of schools in their villages. We have made adequate transport arrangements to ensure schooling for such children in nearby villages." Bhuse said: "According to Part 3 Section 6 (3) (1) of the Right to Education Act, 2009, transportation facility is provided under Samagra Shiksha to students from settlements where schools are not available within the prescribed area limits — 1km for primary level, 3km for upper primary and 5km for secondary levels". Senior officials in the education department said a provision of Rs 60,000 has been sanctioned for transportation facilities at the rate of Rs 600 per student for 10 months. An official said a detailed survey would soon be conducted to assess the educational needs of the villages without schools and, accordingly, new schools would be planned in such villages. As per the UDISE data, the situation is grim in the Ratnagiri, Parbhani, Yavatmal, Solapur and Ahmednagar regions where maximum number of villages lack schools, said Date. Places such as Pune, Nashik and Thane are also in the bracket with few schools. However, the deteriorating infrastructure in several existing schools compounds the crisis. For instance, in Chandrapur's Sonapur village, students have been studying under the open sky for two months after the school's roof was blown away. Date said: "These shortcomings in the education department underline the urgent need for stronger policy and immediate intervention to improve rural education in Maharashtra. " Regarding the infrastructure shortcomings, Bhuse said as per a govt decision dated June 29, 2000, if a permanent drinking water facility is not available, instructions have been given to make arrangements for temporary storage of drinking water. Also, as per a govt decision dated April 16, 2025, instructions have been given to provide pure drinking water through tap connections under Jal Jeevan Mission Minor Mineral Scheme. Under Samagra Shiksha, 1,668 separate toilets for boys and 1,087 for girls are being constructed this year. "A districtwise review has been conducted to identify the worst-affected districts and prepare an action plan. Govt is focusing on steps to avert educational losses and ensure that children in all villages get the equaly opportunity to study," a senior education official told TOI on the condition of anonymity.
India.com
an hour ago
- India.com
India's Pharma War Zone: How Delhi's Bulk Drug Push Is Rattling China
New Delhi: The heat is rising in India's pharmaceutical backrooms. Quiet factories. Long shifts. New chemical reactors humming across Himachal, Gujarat and Telangana. Something has shifted. China, long the uncontested supplier of India's drug ingredients, is suddenly nervous. Its prices are falling. Fast. Some slashed by 50%. This is no coincidence. The trigger? India's Rs 6,940 crore Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. Launched in March 2020, it was a shot across the bow. And the target: reduce dependence on Chinese Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs). By December 2024, 48 domestic API projects were sanctioned. Of these, 34 are already operational. Together, they cover 25 key drug molecules. The investment so far? Rs 4,254 crore. But the Chinese are not backing down quietly. They are throwing prices into free fall. Landed costs of certain APIs from China have collapsed far deeper than Indian prices. Take Atorvastatin, used in cholesterol pills, for instance. Indian API prices fell 17% to Rs 10,000 per kg. China pushed it down to Rs 8,000 per kg. That is a 33% crash. Let's understand with another example of Ofloxacin, a broad-spectrum antibiotic. Indian prices dropped from Rs 3,200 to Rs 2,700. China? Rs 2,100. Down 30% in a year. This is price war, not coincidence. Bhavin Mukund Mehta, director of the Kilitch Drugs and Vice Chairman of Pharmexcil, minced no words, 'Even though the PLI has helped reduce the prices of domestically-produced APIs, the Chinese players are undercutting the competition in specific product categories to retain their market share.' Behind the scenes, policymakers are reviewing the PLI's next phase. They are asked industry insiders for help. The mission is to stop China's dumping spree, push for stronger local production and close the gaping supply chain hole exposed during COVID. The Department of Pharmaceuticals is now asking – can India stand on its own chemical legs and can it stop the bleed from Beijing's pricing games? The pressure is on. China still supplies around 70% of India's API imports. India imports about 50% of its total bulk drug needs. That is the strategic choke point the PLI is aiming to break. The scheme covers the production period from FY23 to FY29. But the impact is already being felt. Jatish Sheth, secretary general of the Confederation of Indian Pharmaceutical Industry, sees this as China's last stand. 'It is an expected move from the Chinese exporters to bring down the bulk drugs prices. While their focus is to retain the market share, we believe that this is a temporary phenomenon. We do not expect the Chinese players to keep selling the drugs at such low prices for too long.' He is betting on patience. Indian drugmakers are playing the long game. With new infrastructure, newer molecules and tighter government support, the tide could soon turn. But for now, it is a staring contest across lab benches and import docks. On one side, old Chinese dominance. On the other, rising Indian ambition backed by billions. And in between? A market worth tens of billions and the chemical backbone of the world's pharmacy.
