CM orders regularization of panchayat secretaries; VRAs to be accommodated in other depts

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao directed officials to hold talks with VRAs and take their views into consideration

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao has issued instructions on Tuesday to regularize services of panchayat secretaries who have completed their four-year training by taking their performance into consideration as per norms. He also decided to accommodate village revenue assistants (VRAs) in other departments, including Irrigation, by taking their educational qualifications and abilities into consideration.

Decisions to this effect were taken by the Chief Minister after a high-level review meeting held with the officials at the Secretariat.

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Regarding panchayat secretaries, those who have realised two-thirds of the targets set for them would merit consideration in the present round. Committees constituted at the district level would look into the issue.

The Chief Minister directed Chief Secretary A Santhi Kumari, Panchayat Raj Principal Secretary Sandeep Kumar Sultania and Commissioner Hanumantha Rao to take necessary steps for regularization of services of panchayat secretaries.

Panchayat secretaries have been made responsible for maintaining cleanliness in the villages. The State government has made it mandatory for them to take up plantation of saplings and monitor maintenance of the plantations. Commending the role of panchayat secretaries in the development of villages across the State, Chandrashekhar Rao said the national awards won by many panchayats in the State owed a great deal to the efforts put in by them.

He hoped that the panchayat secretaries would not rest on the laurels and become complacent. They should continue their efforts to bring about qualitative change in the villages, he said.

As for VRAs, he wanted the process to be finalized in a week’s time by complying with the due procedures. He directed officials to hold talks with VRAs and take their views into consideration. A ministerial sub-committee was also constituted with ministers G. Jagadish Reddy and Satyavati Rathod under the leadership of Minister KT Rama Rao for this purpose.

As desired by the Chief Minister, the ministerial sub-committee will start discussions with VRAs from Wednesday. He also directed the Chief Secretary to take steps for utilizing services of VRAs taking into consideration the recommendations to be made by the sub-committee.

He wanted the issue to be discussed once again after receiving the report from the sub-committee.