Palle Pandaga in all grama panchayats from October 14

Visakhapatnam: Deputy Chief Minister (Panchayat Raj and Rural Development) K. Pawan Kalyan directed the district collectors and officials from the panchayat raj, rural development, and rural water supply departments to organise ‘Palle Pandugu - Panchayat Week Celebrations’ from October 14 to October 20 across all 13,326 gram panchayats and to launch the works approved during the gram sabhas in a festive atmosphere throughout the state.

Addressing a virtual conference with district collectors and officials from the relevant departments from the Secretariat Complex at Velagapudi on Tuesday, Pawan Kalyan stated that the primary objective of the MGNREGS scheme is to provide 100 days of employment to households living in rural areas and to create sustainable assets for gram panchayats. He directed officials to ensure the effective implementation of the scheme.

“Under the MGNREGS scheme, beneficiaries are entitled to receive work within 15 days of seeking employment, an additional 10 per cent in daily wages if the place of work is more than five kilometres away, and the provision of drinking water, first aid, and adequate shade at the workplace. Subsequently, workers should be paid ₹300 as a daily wage, and ₹50,000 in financial assistance should be provided to the kin of a worker in the event of the worker's death or permanent disability at the workplace,” Pawan Kalyan stated, urging officials to ensure effective implementation of the guidelines in their respective districts.

He noted that gram sabhas were held simultaneously across 13,326 gram panchayats for the first time on August 23 in the state. Pawan Kalyan mentioned that around 30,000 works worth ₹4,500 crore, which were approved during the gram sabhas, will be undertaken during the Palle Pandugu celebrations. He also indicated that approximately ₹2,081 crore in pending wages for workers under the NREGA scheme since May 20 have been released, and resolutions have been passed at the gram sabhas for nine crore labour days in the current financial year.

Panchayat raj principal secretary Shashi Bhushan Kumar, director Krishna Teja, and other officials were present at the meeting.