A.P. Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan calls for concerted efforts to establish ‘Swarna Panchayats’

A.P. Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan calls for concerted efforts to establish ‘Swarna Panchayats’. Without a strong village administration and self-governance mode, the prosperity of the country will be a mirage, he avers. Top priority will be accorded to safeguarding government lands and strengthening local governance through increased grama sabha participation.

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawn Kalyan on August 23 (Friday) underlined the need for a non-partisan approach for developing the State, while asserting that sincere aspirations of the villages would help the rural areas make rapid strides.

Mr. Pawan Kalyan stressed the need to elevate villages to prosperous hubs, outlining a vision to create sustainable and thriving rural communities.

Addressing the ‘Swarna Grama Sabha’, at Mysuruvaripalle of Railway Kodur mandal in Annamayya district, Mr. Pawan Kalyan expressed concern over weakening of the Panchayat Raj system during the YSRCP government’s term.

Noting the dominance of the YSRCP-affiliated sarpanches in 75% of the villages, he called for concerted efforts to develop the State. Establishment of ‘Swarna Panchayats’ should be the collective goal, he added.

“During the YSRCP term, a whopping ₹51,000 crore had been drawn for the Panchayat Raj sector, of which ₹35,000 crore was spent without any accountability. Taking this as a lesson, the youth and women should start questioning the spending of funds and monitor the developmental works in their panchayats,” he said.

Pledging to adopt the non-political approach, Mr. Pawan Kalyan spoke at length about the significance of patriotism originating from panchayats and highlighted the need for village-level leaders’ representation at the national level.

Stressing the fundamental importance of the Panchayat Raj system for national welfare, he said, “Without a strong village administration and self-governance mode, the prosperity of a country will be a mirage.”