IT & Municipal Administration Minister K T Rama Rao today expressed displeasure that the Centre’s decision to send development funds directly to gram panchayats was hampering development of local bodies at district and mandals in middle level.
The Centre has stopped BRGS funds to Zilla Parishats and mandal parishats and giving them to the villages creating problems in district level, he said. Ranga Reddy ZP Chairperson Sunitha Reddy and a team of ZPTCs and MLAs called on KTR, Panchayat Raj Minister Jupally Krishna Rao and Transport Minister P Mahender Reddy at Assembly Committee hall and handed over a memorandum seeking share of funds from mining and stamp duty. “We will strengthen the local bodies at middle level in the zilla parishats and mandals through various schemes, he said.
KTR said it was wrong to think that the state government was denying funds to the districts, which are actually stopped by the Centre. The State government has written a letter to the Centre in this regard seeking funds to districts. The minister felt that more works can be taken up through welfare schemes and flagship programs Mission Bhagiratha and Mission Kakatiya and others instead of relying on the Central funds. Employment guarantee scheme can be implemented to give employment to people and help them get livelihood and get good name, he said. He also promised to take the issue to the notice of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao for providing funds to districts and mandals by taking necessary steps.
Krishna Rao said efforts are being made to see that Rs 15 lakh to Rs 20 lakh will be given to the districts and mandals. Works worth Rs 1,000 crore can be taken up under Employment Guarantee scheme for roads, sewage canals, link roads, metalling, CC roads and others. If two persons from each home work, this amount will reach Rs 3000 crore with component, he said. KCR was offering huge funds for welfare and employment guarantee schemes, Rao said.
Mahender Reddy said the Chief Minister was giving priority to districts and there was no paucity of funds. “We will apprise KCR about non-receipt of share of funds from the Mining and Stamp Duty to the districts. (NSS)