Pawan Kalyan orders audit of lands belonging to Gram Panchayats in Andhra Pradesh
This would enable the government to find out encroachments and reclaim the occupied lands, Mr. Pawan Kalyan said while participating as chief guest in the National Panchayati Raj Day event organised by the A.P. Panchayat Raj & Rural Development Department, near Mangalagiri, in Guntur district on Thursday.
Revenue through timber
He also told the department to grow timber on vacant lands of the GPs, saying that it would fetch a revenue of nearly ₹20,000 crore per year, thereby reducing the State's dependence on wood imports to that extent.
Mr. Pawan Kalyan said GPs had suffered a lot in 2019-24, during which period funds devolved by the Finance Commission were diverted on a large scale. The GPs did not have the funds required for development, and the functional autonomy envisaged by the Constitution was confined to rhetoric.
After the TDP-Jana Sena Party-BJP alliance came to power, the situation vastly improved. Funds were being given to the GPs, irrespective of which party was in control, he stated. A sum of ₹1,121 crore provided by the 15th Finance Commission was directly remitted to the GPs, he said
Development works
Mr. Pawan Kalyan said massive development works were taken up in the villages at a cost of approximately ₹10,670 crore in the last nine months. These works included about 4,000-km of cement concrete roads, 13,000 water tanks and 20,000-plus farm ponds. Due priority was given to providing road connectivity to the tribal villages, he said.
The Deputy Chief Minister said he issued orders to the officials to strictly follow the rules in making transfer of the employees, and that he personally made it clear to the leaders who approached him with recommendations that he would strictly adhere to the rule book.
Paying tributes to the tourists who were killed by terrorists at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, Mr. Pawan Kalyan suggested to the officials of PR&RD Department to build a 'national integration complex' and a pylon in every village to instill a sense of unity and patriotism, as the country would be safe and strong only when such a spirit was fostered from the grassroot level.
Mr. Pawan Kalyan said he would discuss it with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and, if necessary, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Later, he gave away awards to 74 officers and staff of the PR&RD Department who excelled in discharging their duties.
Swachha Andhra Corporation Chairman K. Pattabhiram, Principal Secretary (PR&RD) Sashi Bhushan Kumar and Commissioner M.V.R.K. Teja, and Guntur District Collector S. Nagalakshmi were among those present.
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