Use Funds Properly for Development, Says Ponguleti
Ponguleti urged municipal chairpersons, councillors, sarpanches and ward members to work for the development of their areas so that their contributions would be remembered by the people.
Nalgonda: Revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy on Tuesday stressed the need for proper utilisation of funds allocated to local bodies, particularly gram panchayats, for development and addressing public issues. He said the funds that gram panchayats in the past two and a half years were the highest since the panchayat raj system came into force.
Inaugurating an awareness programme on “Praja Palana-Pragathi Pranalika” for municipal chairpersons and councillors at Sri Bhakta Ramadasu auditorium in Khammam, Srinivas Reddy said amounts ranging from Rs.5 lakh to Rs.50 lakh had been deposited in the accounts of gram panchayats in the past week, depending on their size. The minister said officials and elected representatives should prepare plans for effective utilisation of the funds.
He said elected representatives had the responsibility to prevent misuse of funds and directed district collector Anudeep Durishetty to constitute special teams of officials to monitor their utilisation. Officials should also guide gram panchayats on using the funds for village development, he added.
The minister urged municipal chairpersons, councillors, sarpanches and ward members to work for the development of their areas so that their contributions would be remembered by the people.
“We have the responsibility to serve the people for electing us as their representatives by casting their votes in the elections. Politics should remain until election time. The elected representatives should work for welfare of the poor irrespective of politics”, he said.
Srinivas Reddy also emphasised the need to take measures to prevent drinking water shortages in villages and towns and called on representatives to participate in the state government’s 99-day programme.
Earlier, the minister distributed Ramzan gift packs to 350 mosque committees and sewing machines to 163 minority women at his camp office in Kusumanchi in Khammam district.
He said women from minority communities should utilise government schemes to improve their financial condition. Under the Indira Mahila Shakti programme, sewing machines would be distributed to 200 Muslim minority women in each Assembly constituency, he said, adding that the income earned by women would support the financial development of their families.
Telangana Warehousing Development Corporation chairman Rayala Sambashiva Rao was present.