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The Hindu
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Pawan holds Maata-Manthi with Ravivalasa villagers
Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan interacted with residents of Ravivalasa village in the Tekkali constituency of Srikakulam district on Thursday as part of Maata-Manthi (a conversation), an initiative by the Panchayat Raj & Rural Development (PR&RD) Department aimed at involving citizens in the development of villages and understanding their issues firsthand. In a message on 'X,' 'Maata-Manthi-a New Era in Participatory Rural Development. Technology has united the world in a global village where miles could be reached in moments and conversations flow effortlessly. With the intention of directly involving citizens in the development of villages and understanding their issues firsthand.' The villagers of Ravivalasa were brought to a theatre in Tekkali. Through a live video conference from the Camp Office, Mr. Kalyan interacted with them and heard their concerns, suggestions, and developmental needs . Mr. Kalyan said, 'Issues that could be resolved immediately were addressed with the officials present. Required approvals were given instantly. For matters that require more time, the respective departments were requested to take them up with defined timelines for execution'. Mr. Kalyan further added that he was deeply moved by the enthusiasm and clarity with which the people of Ravivalasa came forward to convey their hopes and concerns. He said: 'I observed that the people did not just speak but took ownership of the future of their village, reflecting the true spirit of democracy.' The Deputy Chief Minister asserted that the Maata-Manthi initiative was not just a programme but a step forward in realising the vision of Grameen Bharat Mahotsav 2025 envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, wherein the voice of every village is heard and respected. Mr. Kalyan thanked Agriculture Minister and Tekkali MLA K. Atchannaidu, officials of the PR&RD and Rural Water Supply Departments, and the people of Ravivalasa for making the effort meaningful.
The Hindu
12-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Special officers appointed for Saraswati Pushkaralu; Minister Sridhar Babu inspects preparations
To ensure effective sanitation management during the upcoming Saraswati Pushkaralu, the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development (PR & RD) Department has appointed 50 special officers. These include four District Panchayat Officers (DPOs), four District Level Panchayat Officers (DLPOs), 14 Mandal Parishad Development Officers (MPDOs), and 28 Mandal Panchayat Officers (MPOs). They will report to the Jayashankar Bhupalpally Collector and coordinate with ground-level staff to maintain cleanliness throughout the festival. The 12-day Saraswati Pushkaralu will begin on May 15 at Triveni Sangamam near Kaleshwaram, where the Godavari, Pranahita, and the invisible Saraswati rivers converge. The State government is making elaborate preparations to ensure the event is a grand success. As part of these efforts, IT and Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu, who represents the Manthani Assembly constituency that includes Kaleshwaram, inspected the arrangements on Sunday. He stressed the need for quality in all works related to the festival, particularly in sanitation, electrification and security. He also directed officials to prepare a minute-to-minute schedule to ensure smooth conduct of the festivities. The Minister conducted an inspection of key areas, including the VIP ghat, the Goddess Saraswati statue, and other sites. He directed officials to expedite pending works, such as completing the main building for Pindapradhanam, and recommended robust security measures for pilgrims. He also called for special officers from the Endowments Department to oversee the special Aarti programme. The government is setting up a tent city in Kaleshwaram, with provisions for temporary lighting, toilets and uninterrupted power supply. Daily food distribution for devotees, along with transportation and crowd control arrangements, will also be in place. A 17-foot monolithic idol of Goddess Saraswati has been placed at the newly built Saraswati Ghat. With the Chief Minister and Governor expected to visit during the festival, the government is making all efforts to ensure a grand and successful celebration. The Minister instructed officials to install street lights, repair roads, and ensure cleanliness throughout the town. He also emphasised the importance of maintaining quality in all works and warned contractors that action will be taken if quality is compromised. Principal Secretary of the Endowments Department Shailaja Ramiyer, Endowments director S. Venkata Rao, Jayashankar Bhupalpally Collector Rahul Sharma and Superintendent of Police (SP) Kiran Khare accompanied him.
The Hindu
24-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Pawan Kalyan orders audit of lands belonging to Gram Panchayats in Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Panchayat Raj & Rural Development K. Pawan Kalyan has instructed officials to conduct an audit of the lands belonging to all the 13,326 Gram Panchayats in the State. This would enable the government to find out encroachments and reclaim the occupied lands, Mr. Pawan Kalyan said while participating as chief guest in the National Panchayati Raj Day event organised by the A.P. Panchayat Raj & Rural Development Department, near Mangalagiri, in Guntur district on Thursday. Revenue through timber He also told the department to grow timber on vacant lands of the GPs, saying that it would fetch a revenue of nearly ₹20,000 crore per year, thereby reducing the State's dependence on wood imports to that extent. Mr. Pawan Kalyan said GPs had suffered a lot in 2019-24, during which period funds devolved by the Finance Commission were diverted on a large scale. The GPs did not have the funds required for development, and the functional autonomy envisaged by the Constitution was confined to rhetoric. After the TDP-Jana Sena Party-BJP alliance came to power, the situation vastly improved. Funds were being given to the GPs, irrespective of which party was in control, he stated. A sum of ₹1,121 crore provided by the 15th Finance Commission was directly remitted to the GPs, he said Development works Mr. Pawan Kalyan said massive development works were taken up in the villages at a cost of approximately ₹10,670 crore in the last nine months. These works included about 4,000-km of cement concrete roads, 13,000 water tanks and 20,000-plus farm ponds. Due priority was given to providing road connectivity to the tribal villages, he said. The Deputy Chief Minister said he issued orders to the officials to strictly follow the rules in making transfer of the employees, and that he personally made it clear to the leaders who approached him with recommendations that he would strictly adhere to the rule book. Paying tributes to the tourists who were killed by terrorists at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, Mr. Pawan Kalyan suggested to the officials of PR&RD Department to build a 'national integration complex' and a pylon in every village to instill a sense of unity and patriotism, as the country would be safe and strong only when such a spirit was fostered from the grassroot level. Mr. Pawan Kalyan said he would discuss it with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and, if necessary, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Later, he gave away awards to 74 officers and staff of the PR&RD Department who excelled in discharging their duties. Swachha Andhra Corporation Chairman K. Pattabhiram, Principal Secretary (PR&RD) Sashi Bhushan Kumar and Commissioner M.V.R.K. Teja, and Guntur District Collector S. Nagalakshmi were among those present.
