Andhra Pradesh bagged national recognition for the initiatives launched for strengthening panchayat administration and for improving its own source of revenue, said Panchayat Raj Minister Ch. Ayyanna Patrudu.
At a press conference here after receiving the national award of Rs.2 crore for the ‘Incremental Devolution Index’’ at Delhi on April 24, Mr. Ayyanna Patrudu listed the achievements made by the Panchayats in the State that paved way for the award.
While Andhra Pradesh stood first, Sikkim and Odisha stood second and third respectively.
Overall 12 out of 44 awards announced by the Centre were bagged by the State. They included six best Gram Panchayats, four Mandal Parishads and one Zilla Parishad (Vizianagaram)
Gram Panchayats did well in improving their own source of revenue, he said. It rose from Rs.220 crore in 2013-14 before bifurcation to Rs.400 crore in 2014-15 and is likely to touch Rs.600 crore in 2015-16 when collection would be finalised by month-end.
All the Gram Panchayats in the State under the Gram Panchayat Development Plan started by the Union Ministry of Panchayat Raj came up with their annual action plan for the first time on four core sectors — drinking water, sanitation, street lighting, internal roads and drains and e-panchayat. New subjects like health, education, agriculture, animal husbandry, women and child welfare, Neeru-Chettu were also included in 2016-17 and all the Panchayats would upload their plan in PlanPlus by month-end, he said.
Solid waste disposal model plan was now being implemented in 659 panchayats and ‘Green Ambassadors’ were deployed through the 14{+t}{+h}Finance Commission and NREGA funds.
Significantly, Gram Panchayats were now delivering online certificates for 11 services including birth and death registration, house tax, trade licence, marriage registration, property valuation certificate, mutation, water tap connection, NoC for small, medium and large scale industries, building and layout permission and NREGA job card.
Accountability
Mr. Ayyanna Patrudu said four months ago, the State had bagged another award for maintaining transparency and accountability in the implementation of the NREGA where Aadhar cards were linked to biometric index of job card holders to prevent discrepancies in payments.
‘State has bagged national recognition for initiatives to strengthen the administration’
