Pawan Kalyan Ensures Direct Financing for Panchayats

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan announced the deposit of Rs 750 crore from the Fifteenth Finance Commission into panchayat accounts. He pledged that the funds would be used exclusively for local needs, reversing previous fund diversion practices by the YSRCP government.

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan announced on Thursday that Rs 750 crore from the Fifteenth Finance Commission will soon be deposited into panchayat accounts. The Deputy Chief Minister, who also serves as the Panchayat Minister, promised not to divert these funds for other purposes, reaffirming the NDA government's commitment to local governance.

Kalyan made the announcement during a meeting with panchayat representatives, stating that the funds would be used exclusively for the needs of the specific panchayats. 'We will ensure that a particular panchayat's funds will be spent only in that place,' he assured in an official release.

Addressing financial mismanagement by the previous administration, Kalyan, also Janasena chief, accused the YSRCP government of diverting Rs 8,629 crore from 12,900 panchayats. He expressed plans to work with the Finance Department to potentially recover those funds.

(With inputs from agencies.)