Minister for Tourism Bhuma Akhila Priya on Wednesday inaugurated the ‘People First’ call centre, a facility aimed at enabling the people highlight their issues/problems, complaints and suggestions with the departments concerned, in the temple city of Tirupati.
Interacting with the media, Ms. Priya opined that such a facility, connected by dialling number 1100, would not only ensure transparency in governance but also hold the officials and people’s representatives accountable.
“Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s main focus is to make people as the central point for the introduced welfare schemes and has opined that good governance would be possible only when the officials and people’s representatives are answerable, further making the State corruption-free. These round-the-clock call centres, set up with 750 staff members, would catalyse the work and ensure no hindrance to developmental activities,” she added.
With respect to the funds disbursed, Ms. Priya said the State government had released ₹24,000 crore, ₹5,700 crore and ₹3,000 crore under the farm loan waiver, pensions (per year) and rations respectively.
She also said the State government was working for the uplift of the weaker sections financially through several welfare schemes and opined that everyone should strive for building a ‘happy society’.
She further elicited people’s support for making Andhra Pradesh as a benchmark for other States.
Ms. Priya also listed the steps taken by the government to create jobs (the recent industry meet in Vizag), reducing dropout rate from schools, free health services and drive towards renewable sources of energy.
Tirupati Legislator M. Suguna, Municipal Commissioner Ch. Hari Kiran and others took part in the programme.
