CH NEWS
Bengaluru
Karnataka Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Eshwar Khandre has made village-level inspections mandatory for district panchayat chief executive officers, directing them to visit four to five villages at least two days a week.
In a written instruction to the department secretary, Khandre said CEOs should conduct surprise visits to gram panchayats without prior notice. They have been asked to check staff attendance, assess the functioning of panchayat development officers and taluk executive officers, hear public grievances and resolve some issues on the spot.
“The panchayat CEOs should visit 4-5 villages at least two days a week and personally inspect the situation,” Khandre said, stressing the need for closer monitoring of rural development works.
The minister said Karnataka has more than 5,900 gram panchayats and 57,879 habitations across 31 districts. Of the state’s 6.13 crore population, around 4.45 crore live in rural areas across 26,589 villages.
Khandre said nearly three-fourths of Karnataka’s population lives in rural areas and district panchayat CEOs must therefore give greater attention to rural development.
He directed them to regularly monitor the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission, VB-G RAM-G, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Rural), Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana and the Chief Minister’s Road Scheme.
The CEOs were also asked to oversee removal of lake encroachments and ensure proper sanitation and dry and wet waste management within gram panchayat limits.
Khandre said improving drinking water supply, roads, sanitation and local employment could reduce migration to cities, ease pressure on urban infrastructure and accelerate rural development.
