162 panchayats in Srikakulam dist to have new buildings

SRIKAKULAM : In an attempt to ensure that all panchayats have their own permanent infrastructure, Srikakulam district authorities are gearing up to construct buildings in 162  panchayats in all 38 mandals. The state government has allocated a fund of `21.06 crore for the purpose, say the officials of panchayat raj department.

In total, Srikakulam district has 1,110 panchats spreading over all 38 mandals of which 162 are yet to have permanent buildings. 

The panchayat officials, in association with the distrit revenue authorities, have already identified sites to the take up the construction works for the new buildings. The government has assigned the job to the engineering department of panchayat Raj department. 

“The move aims at ensuring permanent buildings to each panchayat headquarter so that they can carry out the village administration smoothly,” said district panchayat officer Koteswara Rao.

 The state government has allocated `13 lakh to each proposed panchayat building some six months ago.  

The construction works of the proposed buildings would be completed in the next 2 months.

Speaking to express panchayat raj superintendant engineer A Mohan Murali said that around 45 per cent of the panchayat buildings have been completed across the district till date. Keeping in view of completing all panchayat buildings within this fiscal year, the works are being expedited.

“As we have no panchayat office building in our village, we run the administration from the adjacent government structures in the village,” said Banna Ramu, sarpanch of Yeragam panchayat in Sarubujjili mandal. 

Though the government had taken up the construction of panchayat building 10 years ago, it was stalled after the completion of 50 per cent of the works following the allegations of fund misappropriation.