District panchayat nod for 48-cr development projects

Alappuzha: Alappuzha district panchayat has approved development projects worth Rs 48 crore for 2016-17 fiscal.
The projects were announced at the development seminar of the district panchayat which was held at the panchayat conference hall here on Saturday.
As per the draft of the projects, a sum of Rs 20 lakh will be spent for the maintenance and for buying equipment for Alappuzha Gender Park.
Rs 12 lakh will be spent for the project 'Patheyam' framed for supplying nutritious food to the HIV affected people.
The district panchayat will also start mobile cancer screening units with the support of district medical office and Rs 50 lakh has been set aside for this purpose.
Rs 1 crore will be spent for the pipe laying works of water drinking projects.
Rs 1.5 crore will be spent for constructing flats for the scheduled cast families at Aroor grama panchayat.
The draft report also says a sum of Rs 6.21 crore will be spent for the road maintenance works.
Rs 40 lakh will be given to Mannar grama panchayat for constructing a gas crematorium.
The district panchayat will spend Rs 75 lakh for the new building of Mavelikkara district hospital.
In order to execute animal birth control programme, the district panchayat will spend Rs 10 lakh.
PWD minister G Sudhakaran who inaugurated the seminar said that the people representatives were not fully aware of their roles as they did not read any books related to Panchayati Raj.
"They read Ramayana, Bible, and Quran. But they don't have time to read books related to the Panchayati Raj System. So the people's representatives including the panchayat president are seen running behind the panchayat secretary and other officials for executing development projects. This should change and elected members of the local bodies should have better knowledge about the local administration," said Sudhakaran.
District panchayat president G Venugopal presided over the function, in which 15 working group members also took part.