Latest news with #Margadarshis
Hans India
18-07-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Efforts on to make govt offices plastic-free: CS
Vijayawada: Chief secretary K Vijayanand announced that the state government is taking decisive steps to make all government offices plastic-free. During a video conference with district collectors and officials on Thursday, he discussed key initiatives, including the Swarnandhra P-4 Foundation, Swachhandhra, MSME parks, Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana, and population management. Vijayanand stressed a phased approach to control single-use plastics, with a goal to declare all 17 municipal corporations plastic-free by October. He directed officials to ban plastic items in government offices statewide and launch extensive public awareness campaigns about the environmental harm caused by single-use plastics, particularly air and water pollution. He urged district collectors to engage plastic manufacturers to ensure compliance and promote eco-friendly alternatives. The Swarnandhra P-4 Foundation, aimed at eradicating poverty and reducing economic disparities, was a key focus. The government has set a target to adopt 15 lakh Bangaru Kutumbams (golden families) by August 15. So far, 19.17 lakh Bangaru Kutumbams have been identified, with 5.2 lakh adopted by Margadarshis (mentors). Vijayanand stressed maintaining high standards in identifying families and mentors, urging collectors to ensure the program's success by encouraging financially capable Margadarshis to participate. On population management, Vijayanand described the population as an asset and highlighted the recent draft population policy. He instructed collectors to follow the policy's calendar of events to implement effective measures. Under the Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana, 1,027 villages have been selected as model villages, with 765 already declared under the Village Development Plan (VDP). The chief secretary directed collectors to expedite efforts to declare the remaining 262 villages as model villages. Each model village will receive a Rs 20 lakh gap-filling grant from the central government for infrastructure development, supplemented by additional funds through convergence, potentially reaching Rs 80 lakh per village. Collectors were urged to prioritise these efforts to enhance rural infrastructure. The chief secretary also discussed the MSME Parks and RAMP (Rising and Accelerating MSME Performance) programme, a centrally-sponsored scheme supported by the World Bank. He instructed collectors to ensure its effective implementation and promote circular economy clusters to foster sustainable industrial growth. Additionally, the conference explored the use of AI chatbot technology to enhance government employee efficiency, signaling a move toward digital innovation in governance. These initiatives reflect the state's commitment to environmental sustainability, poverty alleviation, and infrastructure development, with district collectors tasked to drive their successful execution.
Hans India
26-06-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Need to increase number of P4 Margadarsis: CM
Vijayawada: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said many people in society are interested in helping the poor in some way and suggested transforming P4 into a platform for them. He stressed the need to focus more on connecting guides (Margadarshis) with Bangaru families and engaging with potential guides. A dedicated call centre has been set up by the government to monitor the program daily. He reviewed the implementation of the P4 initiative launched with the goal of achieving zero-poverty at the Secretariat on Wednesday. The review focused on the identification of Margadarsis and the selection of Bangaru (golden) families. Officials explained that out of 19,15,771 Bangaru families identified across the state under the P4 model, 87,395 families have so far been adopted by Margadarsis. The Chief Minister directed officials to establish systems that provide necessary information and guidance to those interested in becoming guides. He emphasised conducting surveys to assess the condition of families before and after their adoption as Bangaru families to evaluate improvements in their living standards. He also called for regular auditing of the programme's implementation, quarterly reviews, and timely feedback to guides on the impact of P4 through reports. He suggested organizing special programs with industrialists, NRIs, celebrities, and people from elite sections of society to explain the P4 concept and invite them to participate as Margadarsis. He said he would personally reach out to CEOs, COOs, CFOs, MDs, and chairpersons of the top 100 companies to invite their participation in the programme. He also announced plans to virtually interact with Telugu people living in India and abroad to explain the importance and goals of the program and invite them to become guides. The Chief Minister shared the idea of appointing NRIs as P4 advisors and encouraging them to serve as guides. He reviewed various logos designed to promote the Zero Poverty and P4 concept and said one logo will be selected soon. He also suggested that March 30, the date when P4 was launched, should be celebrated annually to showcase the achievements of the programme. Finance minister Payyavula Keshav and officials from the finance and planning departments participated.
