Stay Accessible to People, Uttam Tells Local Representatives
Uttam Kumar Reddy said gram panchayats had not received funds for some time due to the absence of elected bodies but funds had been released in the past month following the conduct of panchayat elections in the state.
Nalgonda: Irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Thursday urged elected representatives of local bodies to remain accessible to people and address their problems promptly, stating that such responsiveness would help build their credibility among the public.
Speaking at an awareness programme on “Praja Palana-Pragathi Pranalika” held at a private function hall in Suryapet for elected representatives of local authorities, the minister said they should focus on development of their areas and the welfare of the poor to earn the trust of the people.
He asked them to educate people about development and welfare schemes being implemented by the state and central governments and ensure that the benefits reach eligible beneficiaries.
“As elected representatives, we have the responsibility to take care of the welfare of the people and to do some good to them. If we allocate some time every morning and evening for this purpose, visible changes would appear at the field level in implementation of development programmes and welfare schemes”, he said.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said gram panchayats had not received funds for some time due to the absence of elected bodies but funds had been released in the past month following the conduct of panchayat elections in the state. He said additional funds would also be released before March 31 and stressed the need for proper utilisation for village development.
He said the state government was implementing welfare schemes irrespective of political affiliations to ensure that all eligible persons benefit, and assured cooperation for the development of every area regardless of the party affiliation of local representatives.
The minister also called for coordination between officials and elected representatives to ensure that no village faces drinking water shortages during the summer. He asked representatives to monitor road and drainage works to maintain quality and durability.
Referring to agriculture, he said Telangana farmers produced 148 lakh metric tonnes of paddy during the Kharif season, the highest in the country. Of this, about 72 lakh metric tonnes had been procured from farmers and Rs.20,000 crore had been deposited into their bank accounts. The government aims to procure 90 lakh metric tonnes of paddy during the Rabi season.
On food security, he said the state government had issued 47,750 new ration cards to eligible families after the Congress came to power and was supplying fine rice to white ration card holders. Issuance of ration cards, he said, would continue.
He added that work was underway to bring Godavari water to Tungaturthi constituency through the Devadula project.
