Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has decided to launch “Grama Jyothi” programme from the coming Independence Day for integrated and comprehensive development of rural areas by spending about Rs. 25,000-crore in villages in the next five years.
The Chief Minister took the decision at a review meeting held here on Sunday on the formulation of schemes for development of villages. Ministers K.T. Rama Rao, T. Harish Rao, Principal Secretary (Panchayat Raj) J. Raymond Peter, Additional Secretary in Chief Minister's Office Smita Sabharwal, district Collector of Ranga Reddy M. Raghunandan Rao, Engineer-in-chief B. Surender Reddy attended the meeting.
Explaining his ideas, the Chief Minister stated that it was being planned to spend Rs.2-crore to Rs.6-crore on the development of every village over the next five years.
The objective of the programme was to strengthen the panchayat raj system, making gram panchayats active participants in development schemes and preparation of plans at village-level on their own, he noted.
The Chief Minister has also set up a Cabinet sub-committee headed Mr. Rama Rao with Ministers Etela Rajender (Finance), Tummala Nageswara Rao (Roads & Buildings), Pocharam Srinivas Reddy (Agriculture), T. Harish Rao (Irrigation) and Jogu Ramanna (Forest) as its members to prepare modalities of Grama Jyothi programme.
He asked the sub-committee to give its report in a week’s time.
Another meeting would be held on the programme with Vice-Chairman of State Planning Board S. Niranjan Reddy, Rural Development Minister and officials, district Collectors and Joint Collectors at Marri Channa Reddy Institute of Human Resources Development.
‘Mana Vooru, Mana Pranalika’ already being implemented by the government will make Grama Jyothi work easy, the Chief Minister felt.
The State government would sanction works based on the requirement of villages, Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao said.
The government is planning to meet the needs of every village in the State as part of the programme, Mr. Rao added.
Programme to be launched on Independence Day
