Efforts on to make govt offices plastic-free: CS

Hans India

4 days ago

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.