Hyderabad: Telangana Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister Seethakka directed contractors to begin HAM rural road works under all packages on October 25. She said agreements for the Telangana HAM rural roads had already been completed. The technical process required to commence construction had also been completed.
Seethakka reviewed problems affecting the works with officials and contractors and said the issues had been resolved. She directed them to accelerate construction and create permanent infrastructure in rural Telangana.
The Minister issued the directions during a regional review meeting at the Hanumakonda Collectorate on Friday. The meeting covered the erstwhile Warangal and Khammam districts.
She reviewed development programmes under the Panchayat Raj, Rural Development and Rural Water Supply departments. In addition, she held a separate review with officials and contractors on HAM road construction.
Officials from the Chief Engineer to Executive Engineer levels reviewed works under their respective jurisdictions. Seethakka said steps had been taken to ensure that construction started quickly.
Telangana HAM rural roads to cover 18,472 km
Seethakka said the government planned to develop 18,472 km of rural roads across Telangana in three phases under the HAM model. In the first phase, the government planned to develop 7,448 km at a cost exceeding ₹6,000 crore. This phase would cover 2,145 roads under about 3,000 gram panchayats.
The government divided the works into 17 circles and 17 packages. Seethakka said the HAM model covered both road construction and long-term maintenance. Under the financing arrangement, 40% of the project cost would be paid during the current stage.
The remaining 60% would be paid over the next 15 years. She said this arrangement would create long-term responsibility for road maintenance. According to the Minister, the system was designed to ensure that roads remained properly maintained for 15 years. She added that contractors would be responsible for road quality.
The government planned to develop 445 HAM roads covering 1,366 km in the erstwhile Warangal and Khammam districts, Seethakka said. The works were estimated to cost about ₹1,130 crore. Around 90% of the programme would involve upgrading existing roads, while 10% would involve new construction.
Seethakka said the programme followed the Chief Minister’s vision of improving road connectivity at every level. The plan sought better road links from every habitation to its gram panchayat. It also envisaged connectivity from villages to mandal and district headquarters and onward to the state capital.
Telangana HAM rural roads review also covers water security
Seethakka said the government had discussed the impact of El Niño in the Assembly and adopted a resolution. Accordingly, advance measures were being taken in every village. She said reservoir water was being used cautiously, with drinking water receiving priority. Currently, she said, Telangana faced no difficulty in meeting drinking water requirements.
The Minister directed officials to monitor water levels in every reservoir daily. She also instructed officials to restore drinking water supplies in 86 problematic habitations under Mission Bhagiratha on a war footing.
A special committee headed by Panchayat Raj Commissioner Divya Devarajan was working on permanent solutions for drinking water problems. Its focus included Adivasi and tribal habitations.
Seethakka said the government had launched the Jal Siri programme four months earlier to conserve every drop of water. She said the programme promoted soak pits for every house, farm ponds for every agricultural field and water conservation ponds for villages.
The government was also providing employment guarantee work to every family seeking employment, she said. More than ₹2,000 crore had already been paid as wages to workers under the employment programme.
Seethakka directed officials to hold gram sabhas on October 2. She asked them to discuss and approve comprehensive village development plans for the coming year with residents. She said the employment guarantee programme aimed to provide work to labourers while creating permanent assets in villages.
Women’s groups receive ₹67,000 crore in bank loans
Seethakka said the government was strengthening women’s groups as part of its poverty reduction measures. Banks had provided ₹67,000 crore in loans to women, she said. As a result, women had established around six lakh cottage and small businesses.
The Minister said the government was giving priority to women’s empowerment. She added that Indiramma houses were also being sanctioned in women’s names. Seethakka said recognising women as owners of their homes had increased their dignity. She also said the practice of forcing women out of their homes had declined.
Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Special Chief Secretary Dana Kishore attended the review. Commissioner Divya Devarajan and Hanumakonda Collector Chahat Bajpai were also present.
Warangal Collector Satya Sharada, Special Commissioner Srilakshmi and Additional Commissioner Ravinder participated. Mission Bhagiratha ENC Krupakar Reddy and Panchayat Raj ENC Jagadishwar also attended. Additional collectors, senior officials, engineering officials and contractors participated in the meeting.