Vijayawada: Deputy chief minister and panchayat raj minister Pawan Kalyan directed officials to ensure uninterrupted services for rural communities by addressing staff shortages and revising the cluster system of gram panchayats.
During a review meeting at his camp office with senior officials, Pawan Kalyan emphasised the need for reforms. He instructed officials to base the cluster grading of panchayats on population basis rather than income, a practice followed in the past. This, he stated, would address challenges stemming from imbalanced staffing in panchayats with varying income and population levels.
The deputy chief minister highlighted that essential services such as drinking water supply, streetlight maintenance, sanitation, internal road construction, and the implementation of welfare schemes must continue without interruption. To achieve this, a committee of four senior officials will be formed to study the current system and recommend changes to streamline administration and staffing.
The committee will examine reports from district collectors across the 26 districts, analysing the income and population data of panchayats to propose new cluster divisions and grades. Based on these findings, the state govt will issue guidelines for distributing gram panchayat and secretariat staff accordingly.
Kalyan stressed the importance of aligning gram panchayat and secretariat staff to enhance coordination and efficiency in service delivery. The proposed changes aim to improve infrastructure, welfare program management, and overall governance in rural areas.
The deputy chief minister reiterated the govt’s commitment to strengthening rural administration and ensuring that all gram panchayats are equipped with adequate staff to meet the needs of their populations effectively.
The committee’s recommendations will soon be submitted to the state govt for approval and implementation. Panchayat raj secretary Sasibushan Kumar, commissioner Krishna Teja, and others were present at the review meeting.
