Deputy Chief Minister and Panchayat Raj Minister Pawan Kalyan has directed to organize `Palle Panduga’ (Village festival) – Panchayat Week celebrations from October 14th to 20th across the state.
Conducting a video conference with the District Collectors and officials in the Secretariat, he said that during this week `bhumi puja’ should be performed for all the works approved in Gram Sabhas held simultaneously for the first time in the country in 13,326 panchayats on August 23.
In order to cultivate accountability and transparency in village administration, he said that all such works should be started in a festive environment. He recalled that in those gram sabhas approval of works for Rs 4,500 crore under Employment Guarantee Scheme were given.
The deputy chief minister said that these funds should be utilized to create employment at least 100 days in a year to rural families in the villages, where they reside. Also such works should be aimed at creating sustainable assets and also to improve their livelihood, he added.
He said that they have a right to get work within 15 days of seeking work, if not, unemployment benefits and they should be paid 10 percent additional wages to the daily wage if the work place is more than 5 km away from their residence. They also should provide provision of facilities like first aid, drinking water and shade at work places.
Pawan Kalyan said that if a laborer dies or is totally disabled at work, the family should be given rights such as compensation of Rs 50,000. He said that awareness should be created about the works sanctioned under the Employment Guarantee Scheme.
25.50 crore working days for the financial year 2024-25, as well as 100 days of work for 8 lakh families should be provided, he added. He suggested that high priority should be given to the creation of assets such as orchards, farm ponds and gokulas in the works undertaken in this scheme.
