‘Panchayat Raj dept full of irregularities’

Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development, K Pawan Kalyan, has disclosed that numerous irregularities have been discovered within the Panchayat Raj department, necessitating a comprehensive investigation to uncover corruption.
Addressing JSP leaders and activists at Gollaprolu on Monday, Pawan Kalyan emphasised the importance of the Panchayat Raj department and noted several issues that emerged during an inspection.
“The leaders during the YSRCP regime committed massive corruption in the Panchayat Raj department. Although there are ample funds available in the Jal Jeevan Mission from the Central government, the State government has not provided matching grants, resulting in halted projects and missed funding opportunities,” he lamented.
Pawan Kalyan also revealed that bills for various works done by contractors, amounting to over Rs 3,000 crore, are pending within the Panchayat Raj department.
He asserted his commitment to restoring the system.
 “My goal is to establish the best Panchayat Raj system in AP,” he stated, promising that there would be no corruption from his side.
“I was informed that my office needed minor repairs, but I refused, as there is no need to use borrowed money for this purpose. I also declined the purchase of new office furniture, preferring to buy it myself if necessary,” he clarified.
Pawan Kalyan criticised the YSRCP regime for spending around Rs 600 crore on constructing a palace at Rushikonda, which now lies unused. “The money spent on the palace is wasted. That amount could have been used for comprehensive district development,” he opined.
The Deputy Chief Minister assured the development of Pithapuram as a model constituency in the country, focusing fully on its progress. He mentioned ongoing discussions with NRIs to establish industries and generate employment. He also noted that he and Chandrababu Naidu are committed to strengthening the state systems first.
Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar, during a series of inspections in Kakinada, uncovered a large-scale PDS rice scam. He recalled exposing this scam during the election campaign, pointing out that the government spends Rs 39 per kilogram of PDS rice, but the rice mafia is siphoning off these funds.
Earlier, Pawan Kalyan participated in a pension distribution program, personally handing over pensions to several beneficiaries. Among those present were Collector Shan Mohan Sagili, SP Satish Kumar, former MLA SVSN Varma, and JSP in-charge Krishnam Raju.