AP Govt Honoured by World Records Union for Massive Grama Sabhas Initiative

Vijayawada: World Records Union (WRU) has awarded Andhra Pradesh government a certificate of global recognition for holding 13,326 grama sabhas simultaneously on a single day – August 23, 2024.

WRU’s official records manager Christopher Tailor Kraft handed over the certificate and medal to Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan at the latter’s residence in Hyderabad on Monday.

Within 100 days of taking charge, the NDA alliance government held simultaneous grama sabhas in 13,326 panchayats, which witnessed widespread participation from farmers and villagers. On the day, the sabhas approved works worth Rs 4,500 crore, such as construction of CC roads, drains, cattle sheds, desilting of canals, building check dams and horticulture projects.

While Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu attended the grama sabha at Vanapalli, Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan, who holds the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development portfolios, participated in the sabha at Mysuravaripalli village. Legislators, collectors, farmers, villagers and officials attended the grama sabhas, held to ensure self-governance at the panchayat level and turn villages into “Swarna Panchayats.”

The Rs 4,500 crore-worth works approved by grama sabhas under the NREGA scheme in the state are expected to generate employment for nine crore people, benefiting 54 lakh families.

Panchayat raj principal secretary Shashi Bhushan Kumar, department director Krishna Teja, NREGA director Shanmukh and NREGA joint commissioner Siva Prasad were present when Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan received the global award from the World Records Union.