Title - Implementation of schemes facing problems, says Tulasi Reddy

Maoists obstructing road works in some areas’ Implementation of some schemes like drinking water schemes and Prime Minister Grameen Sadak Yojna (to lay roads) is facing problems in many districts due to objections being raised as the schemes have to run through reserve forest areas, permission from the Railways to use its lands, from the Irrigation Department for drawing of water and National Highways coming across the planned routes is required.This was stated by Chairman of the State 20-point Programme Implementation Committee N. Tulasi Reddy at a press conference he addressed after reviewing implementation of the 20-point programme in the district, on Tuesday. Maoists were also not allowing laying of roads in some areas.Dr. Tulasi Reddy, who reviewed the programme in nine other districts so far said that PMGSY was not going on in full swing because it was being implemented in some districts only and the scheme also had no set targets. Drinking water schemes were not being implemented in many districts at the required pace. Urban housing was also facing problems and in the case of Anganwadi centres they were not functioning in full measure as the personnel required for them could not be engaged for many reasons. However, in recent past he could get activated 8,500 out of the 10,000 non-functioning centres and the remainder would be functional by March, the Chairman said.

Thanks to the 20-point Programme, the percentage of BPL families had gone down from 48.86 per cent when the programme was started in 1975 to 21.10 per cent at present, according to the Tendulkar methodology. Still it was necessary to implement the programme sincerely and effectively, he said.

Andhra Pradesh stood first during 1992-93, 2010-11 and 2011-12 along with Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan in the implementation of the 20-point Programme while Visakhapatnam which was third in the State during 2009-10 and sixth during 2010-11 dropped to 18{+t}{+h}during last year. This was due to it performance not being good in the areas of civil supplies, drinking water supply, functioning of Anganwadi centres and implementation of PMGSY. This year other parameters have picked up but drinking water and PMGSY remained weak. Though sanitation was not a parameter that gives some points to the district in the programme implementation, only 5,172 out of the targeted 40,000 individual toilets were completed.

Collector V. Sheshadri and Joint Collector Praveen Kumar were also present.