Chairman for the Implementation of the Twenty-Point Programme, Lanka Dinakar, Araku MP G. Tanuja Rani and Joint Collector Abhishek Goud at a review meet in the Alluri Sitharama Raju district on Friday.
| Photo Credit: BY ARRANGEMENT

Chairman for the Implementation of the Twenty-Point Programme, Lanka Dinakar, on Friday held a review meeting on the progress of Centrally Sponsored Schemes, implementation of projects and infrastructure issues in the Alluri Sitharama Raju district with Joint Collector Abhishek Goud. Araku MP Tanuja Rani and officials from various departments have participated in the review.

Reviewing the implementation of MGNREGA in the district, Mr. Dinakar asked the officials to provide expenditure details for the past five years and clarify the misuse of funds and quality of created assets. He found that the average daily wage given to the workers was ₹263 though the entitlement is ₹300 and discussed the efforts to increase the same.

During the review of implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission, it was found that due to the lack of sustainable water sources, only 3,503 of 7,185 projects have been completed during 2019-24. It was found that though 1.22 lakh rural homes have tap connections, most of the taps are non-functional.

Mr. Dinakar said under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), of the 29 road projects covering 175 km with an estimated cost of ₹180.86 crore only two completed. While forest clearance is pending for nine projects, 18 were under execution.

In Rampachodavaram Division, eight projects (69.49 km) have been sanctioned under PMGSY with an estimate of ₹33.92 crore of which six are completed. In Chinturu Division, four projects covering 22 kilometres with ₹10.12 crore were sanctioned of which two were completed.

It was found that the implementation of the PM Surya Ghar is slow in the district. Only 1,942 registrations have been done while 22 installations have been grounded so far. “Out of the 1.85 lakh eligible SC/ST beneficiaries, only 16,317 registered. Also, only 62.14 acres have been acquired out of required 268.32 acres for solar installations,” Mr. Dinakar said.

In agriculture support schemes, the PM KUSUM was not implemented in the district and the farmers missed out on PMFBY crop insurance benefits between 2022–24 due to non-payment of premium by then State government.

With respect to development of tourism in the district, Mr. Dinakar said ₹29.3 crore have been sanctioned for Borra Caves under Swadesh Darshan Scheme while proposals have been sent for developing tourism projects in Araku and Lambasingi with ₹50 crore.

He instructed officials to boost employment through food processing, handcrafts, tourism, and service sectors to make the district part of ‘Swarna Andhra’ and ‘Viksit Bharat.’