CM YS Jagan orders close monitoring

Vijayawada: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy directed the heads of departments to inspect the village and ward secretariats twice a month to ensure their effective functioning in the process of achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in various sectors.

During a review on SDGs held here on Monday, the Chief Minister directed them to visit at least two secretariats in a month to examine their Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and revise them by incorporating changes wherever necessary while maintaining and updating monthly records of the goals achieved using latest technology such as artificial intelligence.

He emphasised the need to treat the village and ward secretariats as a driving force and make their staff fully involved in achieving the SDGs. There should be a constant vigil on the functioning of village secretariats by mandal level officials while joint collectors and district collectors should also ensure effective maintenance of records to know where we stand in the process of achieving the goals.

Stressing the importance of maintaining constant vigil and safeguarding the Aadhaar-linked data of the results of development, he said it would make the staff fully accountable. Citing the goals of reducing anaemia under the YSR Sampoorna Poshana and Sampoorna Poshana Plus schemes, he remarked that responsibility doesn't end with the implementation of the schemes. Village secretariats should also find out whether nutritious food is being supplied to the targeted women while monitoring their health condition periodically.

Underlining the fact that no other state in the country is spending as much money as AP in educational, agricultural, women and child welfare sectors, the Chief Minister asked the officials to own up the institutions and streamline their functioning for achieving the SDGs. He asked the officials to ensure zero drop-out rate in schools by monitoring the attendance of students regularly and discussing the issue with parents whenever absence is noticed for more than three days and taking effective steps.

While the government has introduced several reforms in education such as English medium schools with a view to make modern education accessible to the poor, a section of the media is vehemently opposing this for selfish ends, he regretted. Referring to the conditions laid down for marriages under Kalyanamastu Scheme such as minimum educational qualification of 10th Class while the bridegrooms and brides should cross the age of 21 and 18 respectively, the Chief Minister said it would help increase literacy and prevent child marriages.