Andhra gram panchayats approve works worth Rs 4,500cr in a single day

Amaravati, Aug 23 (IANS) More than 13,000 gram panchayats across Andhra Pradesh on Friday sanctioned 87 types of works with an outlay of nearly Rs 4,500 crore under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).Gram sabhas, held in all 13,326 gram panchayats across the state, passed resolutions approving various works.Officials of Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Department finalised the works under the aegis of the sarpanches and with the direct involvement of people.Officials claimed that sanctioning works worth Rs.4,500 crore in one day is a world record.They said 87 types of works under MGNREGS will create nine crore person-days that would benefit 54 lakh families.Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, who holds the portfolio of Panchayat Raj and Rural Development, launched the programme at Mysooravaripalli village in Railway Kuduru mandal of Annamayya district.Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu later participated in the gram sabha at Vanapalli in Kothapeta mandal of Dr B. R. Ambedkar Konaseema district.Addressing gram sabha titled ‘Swarna Grama Panchayat’ in Mysooravaripalli, Pawan Kalyan said the state’s development and ‘golden villages’ are his goal.The gram sabha passed a resolution for taking up 43 works at a cost of Rs 38.46 lakh.The actor-politician said gram panchayats should hold four gram sabhas every year to discuss what should be done for the development of the villages.He claimed that the state government has undertaken the programme by rising above