Funds utilisation: More power to gram panchayats in Telangana

The Chief Minister said that with this decision, gram panchayats would get the facility to spend funds for their own local needs.

Hyderabad: In a major move aimed at decentralisation and empowerment of gram panchayats in the State, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Friday took a decision to facilitate utilization of gram panchayats funds as per its decisions and requirements.

The Chief Minister said that with this decision, gram panchayats would get the facility to spend funds for their own local needs. He also decided to construct integrated markets in 142 municipalities and corporations for sale of vegetable, meat, fruits and flowers.

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Government sites for these markets should be identified in such a manner that they are accessible to women, he said, and instructed TS Transco, Genco CMD Devulapalli Prabhakar Rao to remove power lines that run over houses in villages and urban areas at government cost.

Chandrashekhar Rao also instructed the legislators to inspect the construction works of District Collectorates and SP offices. He issued instructions in this regard to DGP Mahender Reddy. He also decided to construct additional police stations including the traffic police stations. He wanted the formation of women police wings and guidelines to issue GOs to be prepared in this regard.

The Chief Minister held a meeting here on Friday at Pragathi Bhavan with MLAs from several constituencies. Speaking on the occasion, he said that in the backdrop of the Telangana State government working actively towards empowering local bodies, the government was keen on strengthening the basic infrastructure facilities in rural and urban areas.

The Chief Minister sanctioned works pertaining to Railway Over Bridges in urban areas where there are railway lines, underpasses, widening of roads, construction of road dividers, formation of central lightning system, check dams on rivers and canals wherever they are necessary.

The Chief Minister M instructed the officials from the Water Resources Department to ensure that crops do not wither away under the Krishna Godavari Basin. Responding to requests from some MLAs, the Chief Minister instructed the officials to release water for summer crops. He instructed Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy to take measures to release water for summer crops under Kollapur Assembly constituency as requested by the local MLA.

The Chief Minister also instructed officials to release water to the summer crops in Peddapally Constituency as requested by the local MLA Dasari Manohar Reddy. He gave instructions in this regard to Kaleswaram E-in-C Nalla Venkateswarlu. Following instructions from Chandrashekhar Rao, officials lifted the SRSP gates immediately. With this, water will be available for summer crops upto Eklaspur in Manthani Mandal and till the last ayucut of Odela kaluva Srirampur and entire Pedapalli district.