Some suggestions for the development of Andhra Pradesh

[This Note was sent to Shri Nara Chandrababu Naidu, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.]

1.        With public debt already crossing the limits prescribed under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2003, it may not be desirable to continue with the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council. To reduce the burden on the State Exchequer, it is suggested that the Council may be abolished forthwith with the approval of the Parliament.

2.        Secondly, with committed expenditure in respect of establishment, ongoing welfare schemes, and projects (Polavaram etc.), it may be difficult to focus on rural development, particularly on government educational institutions and hospitals. Although the primary target shall be villages, the ideas given in this Note may be implemented in urban areas as well. Encouraging and enlisting private participation with active involvement of local bodies (Panchayats / Municipalities) is a viable solution to the problem. This requires funding, which may not always be by the Government, but by private persons (natural and legal), keeping in view their social responsibility and the well-recognized principle of trusteeship of Mahatma Gandhi. Such funding must not lapse at the end of each financial year requiring fresh sanction for the next year.

3.        Creating separate non-lapsable fund, for the development of each of the villages / urban areas, government schools, government hospitals, and similar public institutions, through government funding (where feasible), public donations, corporate donations, donations from banks and cooperative societies, donations from associations / societies, NRI donations and foreign aid, has to be taken up. This should be a Government Scheme and all the ruling coalition members of the Legislative Assembly may initiate the process by donating in the funds so created. The funding transactions have to take place only through banks by KYC complaint donors. The details of funding along with names of donors have to be read out every month in Gram Sabhas and prominently depicted on the website of the concerned district. The number of such funds would be many and hence, the management of the funds has to be in the hands of local bodies / schools / hospitals with participation of public-spirited persons and elected representatives for the purpose of approval and execution of plans, sanctioning of expenditures, and social audit. The job of reviewing the performance of these funds shall be entrusted to the MROs and District Collectors. The accounts of each fund duly audited by an auditor empaneled by the concerned District Collector shall be presented in the Gram Sabha along with the audit report. All the plans, funding details, sanctions, achievements, results of reviews, audit reports and latest financial position shall be transparently available with monthly updates on the website of the concerned district. The non-lapsable fund can be utilized for various purposes of development in the villages, as illustrated in the following paragraphs.

4.        There are about 28,000 villages in Andhra Pradesh. The villages have so far reached different stages of development. Each village is organized into a few hamlets or habitations, each one belonging to a caste or group. In each hamlet, usually the inhabitants possess small pieces of land on which huts, or small kutcha houses were constructed. If the inhabitants in each hamlet combine their house sites, a beautiful multistoried building with all facilities can be built. Such buildings have to be constructed in each hamlet of each village with the cooperation (and possibly Shramdan) of the concerned owners and after completion of the building, rights on undivided share of land and apartments have to be transferred to the concerned owners with appropriate legal documentation.  In the building constructed in each hamlet, appropriate facilities, such as hospital, library, school, shops, safe drinking water, continuous electric supply with generator facility / solar panels, maintenance office to be run by elected office bearers among owners in the building, may be provided. During the period of construction of the building, the inhabitants may be shifted temporarily to a nearby site. Construction of such buildings will transform the villages by improving their living conditions, hygiene and environment.

5.        Each village must have a proper school building with library / teaching aids and recreational facilities. Local teams of educated persons may be constituted in each village to conduct social / performance audit of each school in each village.

6.        Each village must have an appropriate storage facility for agricultural produce which can be hired for nominal fees by the farmers. This will facilitate the bringing of produce immediately after farming to avail the facility. The produce getting wet / destroyed due to heavy rain can mostly be avoided if this facility is created.

7.        Drainage facilities are an important issue in villages, not only for housing sites, but also for agricultural fields. Underground drainage has to be provided for housing sites. Water harvesting has to be planned by creating ponds (if not there already) at strategic locations with adequate circumference and depth to store rainwater and to pump excess water from agricultural fields into it, in case of floods and heavy rains. This will address the problem of crops getting immersed in water resulting in heavy losses to farmers. This will also address the problem of drought to some extent. The maintenance offices located in each hamlet must be entrusted with the responsibility of taking immediate action on such emergencies.

8.        Agricultural lands are mostly organized into small plots owned by different people, which contributes to lower levels of productivity. Cooperative farming was recommended long ago to address this problem, but somehow the poor and marginal farmers are not motivated or encouraged to join hands. The Crop Insurance Scheme, if slightly modified, will promote this. The Scheme should provide for a higher rate of indemnity for crop losses in cooperative farming, compared to the rate of indemnity payable to individual farmers. The Government may also provide discounts for bulk purchases of seeds and fertilizers. The Government may also provide advanced agricultural implements, facilities and technology for hire at reasonable prices to such cooperative institutions.

9.        Agricultural Mandis have to negotiate prices at the village storage godowns and lift the stocks at their own cost once the deal is settled and cost is paid through demand draft. This would avoid ugly scenes of farmers waiting for several hours or agitating in front of the Mandis for one reason or the other. Other buyers should also be treated in this fashion unless the farmers decide to reach Ryot Bazars and sell their own produce.

10.      Each village has to be provided with all-weather roads and street lighting connecting other neighbouring villages and nearest towns.

11.      Water tanks to supply safe drinking water with individual tap connections to all the houses / apartments have to be constructed in each village.

12.      There should be a Meeting Hall with adequate furniture for organizing Gram Sabha and other functions. The names of donors and the amount of money donated by them for the village development fund shall be prominently displayed in the Hall.

13.      A transparent grievance redressal mechanism shall be put in place. Communications containing complaints and suggestions shall be immediately acknowledged by each public authority. Action taken report (ATR) in respect of issues having implication for members of more than one family shall be given in detail whereas action taken on issues concerning any single family may be indicated as cleared without details. The ATR details shall be presented in the website of the concerned public authority. Any complaint or grievance against the ATR shall lie with the MRO / District Collector who shall dispose it off, within 15 days. The details of such cases shall also be presented on the website of the concerned public authority.

14.      During the first six months of the new Government in Andhra Pradesh, at least one village may be developed on the above lines with the Chief Minister taking leadership initiatives. The success story thereof may be propagated throughout the State and the experience may be replicated in a phased manner in all the villages. Similar action may be taken in urban areas as well.

15.      The Andhra Pradesh State Government may liaise with the Central Government to provide for totally exempting the contributions made to any non-lapsable fund from Income Tax.