Minister Seethakka sets monthly targets for Panchayati Raj Dept

United News of India

17-06-2025

Hyderabad, June 17 (UNI) Telangana Minister for Panchayati Raj and Rural Development, Dr Dhanasari Anasuya Seethakka, on Tuesday directed officials of the department to set monthly targets and work systematically towards their achievement to ensure the timely implementation of development and welfare activities.
Chairing a high-level review meeting here, the Minister reviewed the progress of ongoing schemes such as Mission Bhagiratha, Indira Mahila Shakti, Stree Nidhi, and the newly introduced HUM Policy for rural road construction.
She also addressed pending employee issues and praised the efforts of departmental staff in delivering grassroots services, an official statement said.
Minister Seethakka congratulated N Sridhar on taking charge as the Principal Secretary of the Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Department, expressing confidence that under his leadership, the department would scale new heights.
She recalled Sridhar's contributions as the former Warangal Collector and CMD of Singareni Collieries, particularly in her own constituency, and said his appointment would strengthen interdepartmental coordination and help secure more funding for rural initiatives.
She emphasised that the department, which represents over 2.5 crore people, should function like a family—from the minister to the multipurpose worker—working together with a shared vision of village development.
Highlighting the importance of rural road infrastructure, the Minister stated that 18,472 kilometres of roads would be modernised under the HUM Policy, with 7,947 kilometres to be developed in the first phase.
She added that Rs 1,800 crore worth of works had already been sanctioned and instructed officials to prepare an action plan to invite tenders within the next 15 days.
The guidelines for the HUM project would be released shortly, and teams had been dispatched to Maharashtra and Karnataka to study best practices for effective implementation.
Seethakka noted that rural roads, once neglected, would now surpass even urban roads in quality through this policy.
She also announced that this year, 1,440 Gram Panchayat buildings and 1,440 Anganwadi centres would be constructed across the state—two for each mandal. These projects are expected to be taken up under a state-wide "Work Fair," which aims to generate employment while creating durable community assets.
The Minister said that the government had resolved many staff-related issues since coming to power, including the regular payment of salaries to 93,000 village-level employees through the green channel.
She further informed that the file regarding MPDO transfers was with the Chief Minister, and the vehicle allowance file had reached the Finance Department, with approvals expected soon.
Principal Secretary N Sridhar, addressing the meeting, said that the Panchayati Raj Department plays a vital role in empowering rural communities and women through schemes like Indira Mahila Shakti.
He said the department delivers essential services from the village to the district level and pledged to hold focused review meetings with each section to enhance overall performance.
Sridhar urged everyone to work in unison to bring a good name to the government under the leadership of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and Minister Seethakka.
He assured full commitment to building a transparent, efficient, and people-centred department.
UNI VV SS