Groom sarpanches into ‘change agents’ after elections: CM K Chandrasekhar Rao

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday instructed the officials concerned to organise a full-fledged training programme for the elected sarpanches and upa-sarpanches after the panchayat polls so that the newly elected members would be able to understand the village administration.
Rao asked the officials to impart training to newly-elected sarpanches in developing greenery in the villages and on sanitation programmes. Awareness would be created to newly elected sarpanches on the new Panchayat Raj Act. The three-phase elections to panchayats would be completed by January 30. The training classes for the newly elected 12,000 odd sarpanches would be conducted in February, March, April and May.

The Chief Minister instructed that copies of Panchayat Raj Act in Telugu should be sent to every Gram Panchayat, Mandal and Zilla Parishad officers. Rao said that awareness would be created to newly recruited Panchayat Raj Secretaries and elected sarpanches so that they work in tandem for the development of the villages.   

Rao desired that the newly elected Sarpanches should not work in a routine manner but should work hard as change agents for the integrated development of the villages.  The Chief Minister held a review meeting on conducting training classes to Sarpanches and village Panchayat secretaries.  

Vote-on-account budget

“Currently elections are being held for village panchayats. The recruitment of village panchayat secretaries is in the process. Every village will have on village secretary. Their role is crucial in the development of village. Towards entrusting responsibilities and providing funds to the village panchayats there might
be some unavoidable delay. Since the government of India is going for vote on account budget the State may also present vote on account budget.

In the months of April and May there would be elections to the Lok Sabha. Full-fledged budget will be introduced only after the elections. It will be possible to allocate budget to the panchayats only in the full-fledged budget,” the Chief Minister said.

So, before the introduction of the full State Budget, the training programmes should be conducted for village panchayat secretaries. The newly elected panchayat secretaries should be groomed into “change agents” for the integrated development of villages, the Chief Minister said.

KCR to conduct Chandi Yagam again

Before intensifying his efforts to launch his Federal Front and also to launch the campaign for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections, TRS supremo and CM K Chandrasekhar Rao is all set to conduct Chandi Yagam once again. This time, starting with January 21 on Pournami day, Rao will conduct Sahasra Chandi Yagam for the welfare of the people of the State, especially the farmers. The Yagam, according to sources, is Chaturveda Purassara Maha Rudra Sahita Sahasra Chandi Yagam. The Devi Saptasati will be recited 1,000 times. The Yagam will be conducted at Rao’s farm house in Erravalli for five days. The Purnahuti, closing of Yaga, will on January 25. As many as 200 ritviks will perform Yaga.