Jagan stresses decentralisation of governance from capital cities to villages
VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday inaugurated 13 new districts, doubling their number to 26 in the state as part of plan to decentralise administration for better governance, transparent administration and effective functioning of delivery mechanisms.
He formally announced from his camp office in Tadepalli birth of the new districts – Parvathipuram, Alluri Sitaramaraju, Anakapalli, Kakinada, Konaseema, Eluru, NTR, Palnadu, Bapatla, Nandyala, Sri Satya Sai, Annamayya and Tirupati.
Speaking on the occasion, the CM said the new integrated administrative office complexes will make administration available in every district under one roof. People will thus not have to knock doors of one office after another. He reiterated: “Decentralisation of governance from village to capital cities is our policy. I am hopeful that the formation of new districts will provide better governance and transparent administration, improve business and employment opportunities, and ensure the maintenance of law and order. I am launching the decentralisation seeking God’s grace and people’s support.”
The Chief Minister pointed out that after restructuring of districts, average population of a district has come down to 19.7 lakh from 38.15 lakh. Except for two tribal districts, all districts, with population ranging between 18 lakh to 23 lakh, have six to eight assembly segments each.
Jagan Mohan Reddy said unlike collectors of British era, who just collected revenue, collectors at present have multiple talks, ranging from implementation of welfare schemes to executing development programmes. Underlining door-to-door administration being provided in the state with introduction of village and ward secretariats, he pointed out that this has brought about transparency and ruled out corruption.
The CM said localised secretariat system is helping deliver birth certificates, ration cards, caste certificates, pension cards, Arogyasri cards and other facilities at doorsteps of people within a prescribed time. “Social pensions are being delivered by volunteers to beneficiaries at their doorstep at sun rise on the first day of every month, even if that day is a holiday,” he declared.
The Chief Minister said as part of administrative reforms, they are giving facelift to government schools and hospitals, and setting up 16 new government medical colleges, in addition to the 11 medical colleges set up a long time ago.
Jagan Mohan Reddy went on to say that based on request from the local MLA (Chandrababu Naidu), they have set up Kuppam as a revenue division, which the former CM failed to do during 14 years of his rule.
