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The Chief Minister alleged that villages had suffered during the previous government, citing pothole-ridden roads, inadequate street lighting and even shortages of basic sanitation materials such as bleaching powder.

He said Gram Sabhas were conducted simultaneously in all 13,326 villages to initiate development activities and around 10,000 Panchayat Raj employees in various cadres were given promotions after nearly two-and-a-half decades. He also referred to the release of Rs 4,136 crore under the 15th Finance Commission, the creation of more than one lakh farm ponds and construction of cattle water troughs.

Naidu said 15,500 km of BT and CC roads were being taken up under Palle Panduga - 3.0, including 6,000 km of CC roads at a cost of Rs 2,700 crore. He said the roads would improve connectivity and make travel easier for schoolchildren, farmers and villagers.

“People should be able to walk without getting mud on their feet. Better roads will ensure smooth movement and make it easier for children to go to school and farmers to reach their fields,” he said.

He added that development works worth Rs 50,000 crore had been initiated in urban areas.

Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan said strengthening villages was fundamental to the overall progress of the state. He said the government was working to make families economically stronger and villages more self-reliant by improving roads, drinking water, agriculture, employment, sanitation, infrastructure and tourism.

Pawan said the previous government had constructed 880 km of CC roads during its five-year tenure, while the coalition government had completed nearly 9,000 km in two years.

He said development works based on local needs were being taken up in all 13,326 gram panchayats through Palle Panduga programmes. Around 1.15 lakh farm ponds had been created and fruit orchards developed across two lakh acres, he added. Palle Panduga works worth nearly Rs 520 crore were being taken up in Nellore district, Pawan said.

Ministers Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, Ponguru Narayana, N.M.D. Farooq, Nimmala Ramanaidu, Gottipati Ravi Kumar and BC Janardhan Reddy, Nellore MP Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy, Rajya Sabha member Beeda Masthan Rao, Udayagiri MLA Kakarla Suresh, Nellore Collector Himanshu Shukla and others were present.