A Question Hour was held in the Assembly on Wednesday. Answering a question, Panchayat Raj Minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao said that the Telangana government was fulfilling Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of ‘Gram Swarajya’ by strengthening rural local bodies and creating basic infrastructure for villages to prosper.

He said nearly 90 percent of works like crematoriums, dumping yards, nurseries, Palle Prakruthi Vanams (nature parks) were completed in 12,769 villages spread across the State.

Dayakar Rao said around 4,061 new gram panchayats were created after the State formation and their number has been increased to a total of 12,769 for effective governance of rural areas.

Constructions	Number of Gram panchayats Completed
Total Gram Panchayats	12,769
Vaikuntadhamams	12,742
Dumping Yards	12,735
Nurseries	12,756
Tractors with water tankers	12,769

“Construction of 8,001 cemeteries and 12,301 dumping yards have been completed in the State with an expenditure of Rs 1,554.76 crore and Rs 318.99 crore respectively. The remaining works are in various stages of completion and will be ready by April 30 this year,” the minister said. He requested all the MLAs to review the extent of works completed in the villages within their respective constituencies.

Dayakar Rao said about 10 crore saplings were planted through the village nurseries and 86 percent of them were safeguarded till they survived. About Rs 237 crore were spent in 2019-20 for developing greenery in villages.

The Telangana minister said that the Union government was showering praises and presenting awards for rural development under different categories, but the same was not happening in terms of issuing funds. He wondered if the BJP MLAs and MPs in the State could use their influence with the Centre and get funds to the State rather than criticizing the State government.