ONGOLE: Prakasam district stood fourth in the State in implementation of Pragati Padham and the 20-point programme last year, said district Collector B. Udaya Lakshmi.

Addressing the 60th Independence Day celebrations held here today, Ms. Udaya Lakshmi said stress was being laid on the Integrated Novel Development In Rural Areas and Model Municipal Areas (INDIRAMMA) programme to develop all villages as model villages in the next three years. As part of the programme, 66,487 pucca houses are being constructed at a cost of Rs. 174.9 crore this year and pensions were sanctioned to 33,636 persons afresh. While 106 villages achieved 100 per cent electrification, steps were being taken to provide electricity to 1.22 lakh houses at a cost of Rs. 25 crore this year.

Seven drinking water schemes had been taken up at a cost of Rs. 75 crore besides providing drinking water to 272 villages at a cost of Rs. 18 crore. Schools and Anganwadi centres were being provided with drinking water and toilet facilities at a cost of Rs. 2.5 crore. Additional classrooms were provided in secondary and high schools (Rs. 14 crore), 40 link roads (Rs. 25.7 crore), taps provided to 15,000 households in municipal areas and toilets to 3,816 families.

Velugonda project

The first phase of the Velugonda project had been taken up at a cost of Rs. 1634 crore to provide irrigation to 1.19 lakh acres in the next two years.

The Government had sanctioned Rs. 270 crore till now and 5,263 acres of land was acquired. The Gundlakamma project was taken up at Rs. 453 crore. An amount of Rs. 221 crore had been spent till now. It would be completed to provide water to 30,000 acres in this kharif season.

Banks provided crop loans of Rs. 840 crore as against target of Rs. 726 crore last year. They had sanctioned crop loans of Rs. 245 crore till now as against their target of Rs. 922 crore this year.

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