CM firm on 'Racha Banda' success

Following apprehensions expressed in some quarters in  the implementation, the Government has decided to conduct the Racha Banda programme in all the districts and mandals as scheduled from January 24 to February 12 as announced earlier by Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy.

Reiterating his resolve, the Chief Minister further held a video conference at the Secretariat on Tuesday with all the district Collectors and issued his directive for the successful conduct of the Racha Banda programme which was one of the pet schemes of former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy.

The programme calls for a meeting of all village level farmers or beneficiaries to assemble at a common platform called in the villagers' parlance as 'Racha Banda' with a chance for all concerned to express their grievances and to take decisions on the spot by rulers to benefit the poor.

Instructing the district Collectors, the Chief Minister specifically told them to work for the success of the programme which will facilitate the Government to announce and decide on certain crucial issues like issue of ration cards, disbursement of pensions, among others.

Delivery of housing loans under Indiramma Housing and payment up to basement level construction to the beneficiaries will also be part of the programme.

The issue of white ration cards to over 5 lakh poor and to identify families apart, Mr Kiran Kumar Reddy asked the Collectors to begin scrutinising the applications for pensions.

The issues of enrolling 4.37 crore beneficiaries under the Abhaya Hastham, to increase wages of labour working under MG NREGS from Rs 100 per day to Rs 120 per day and to increase the number of days from 100 days to 125 days were also discussed.

The Chief Minister directed the officials to clear loans under IKP for SHGS to the extent of over Rs 4 crore.