Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has stated that the Constitution has given equal powers to Centre and States and 73 and 74 amendments in it have brought local self-governance.
Speaking on the occasion of Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Day here on Tuesday, Mr. Naidu said that if the States were strengthened, the Centre would automatically be strong in all aspects. He recalled that TDP founder president and former Chief Minister N.T. Rama Rao had fought for equal rights for States and demanded for implementation of Sarkaria Commission’s report which emphasised the need for balance of power between Centre and States.
He said that East Godavari achieved the distinction of becoming the first district in the country with the highest number of LED street lights (3.10 lakh) in 1,069 villages. He inaugurated LED street light centralised control and monitoring system at Dwarapudi in Mandapeta mandal.
The Chief Minister said that he had asked the PR Department to convert 27 lakh street lights into LEDs before October 2 this year.
ODF State
Mr. Naidu said efforts were on to make A.P. ODF State by spending ₹4,500 crore by March next. System of collecting garbage at doorstep would be introduced in all villages, the Chief Minister added.
“The government is taking all steps to ensure completion of the Polavaram project as per schedule,” said the Chief Minister.
Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister Nara Lokesh said that Mr. Naidu was the only person who dared to question the dictatorship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who denied SCS to the State. He appealed to the people to strengthen the hands of the Chief Minister and asked village sarpanches, MPTCs, ZPTCs to join the ‘Dharma Poratam’ against the Centre. He said that 157 gram panchayats were identified to take up underground drainage scheme as a pilot project. He said that dumping yards would be provided in 12,918 villages in the State. A sum of ₹2,352 crore water grid project would be taken up in East Godavari district to supply safe drinking water to villages, he said.
Earlier, the Chief Minister inaugurated a railway flyover at Dwarapudi for which foundation was laid in 2004.
