Bandi Sanjay visits aspirational block in Narayanpet

Hyderabad: Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar, along with MP DK Aruna visited the Narva Mandal Centre in Narayanpet district on Thursday.

Narva Mandal has been selected as one of the Aspirational Blocks in the State by the Central government. Upon his arrival at Narva Mandal Centre, thousands of people extended a grand welcome to Bandi Sanjay. Accompanied by a large crowd, he visited the Anganwadi Centre in the Mandal Centre, interacted with the children, and inquired about the nutritional food being provided to them. He handed fruits to pregnant women during their baby shower ceremony and checked their health status. Later, he planted a sapling at the Anganwadi Centre.

Bandi Sanjay then went to the Primary Health Center (PHC). Upon learning from the locals that there was no doctor, he instructed the immediate appointment of a regular doctor. Noticing the lack of furniture in the PHC, which was causing difficulties for patients, he directed the District Collector to arrange the necessary furniture without delay.

Afterwards, local residents approached Bandi Sanjay and expressed concerns about the lack of proper road connectivity to the Mandal Centre. He then visited a local school, interacted with students having mid-day meals, and inquired about their challenges. When the staff reported a lack of utensils for cooking mid-day meals, he instructed the District Collector to arrange them immediately. He also suggested ensuring all necessary infrastructure is provided in schools.

Later, Bandi Sanjay along with DK Aruna visited the Narayanpet District Collectorate. They met with the Collector, Snigdha. Bandi Sanjay emphasised that since Narva has been selected as an Aspirational Block, the Mandal Centre must undergo significant transformation.

He inquired, “Specifically, how many pregnant women were registered for Antenatal Care (ANC) in the last three months? Which villages were visited? How many registrations were made in government and private hospitals? While the State average for the first trimester of 2024 is 88.7 per cent, this mandal only recorded 77.1 per cent. What are the reasons for this discrepancy?”

He also raised concerns about claims of achieving 100 per cent targets within three months for blood sugar tests, nutritional support, and providing revolving funds to women’s groups. He asked, “How was this accomplished? What actions did you take? Additionally, your report States that soil samples for testing were not collected. Samples were collected in some blocks, right? Then why couldn’t you do so in this block?”

Bandi Sanjay urged officials to extend the “Samagratha Abhiyan” (Comprehensive Campaign) extensively among the public. He also suggested that the Collector take special measures to address the issues raised by the Narva Mandal residents during his visit. He stated that he would return to Narva in March or April next year and instructed that basic amenities, including road construction, be completed by then. Earlier, while addressing the local media in Narva Mandal Centre, Bandi Sanjay explained that the “Samagratha Abhiyan” is part of the “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas” slogan initiated by the NITI Aayog. He elaborated that the programme aims to improve the living standards of people in neglected areas across the country.

“In 2018, we identified 112 Aspirational Districts across the nation for the first time. The aim is to extend this programme to the grassroots level, we identified 500 blocks/manuals on January 7, 2023. In our State, three districts were recognised as Aspirational Districts, and ten mandals were identified as Aspirational Blocks. I have come here to assess the progress of the programmes in Narva mandal, which has been selected in this district, as per the directives of PM Modi. I spoke to the people, learned about their issues, and visited Anganwadi Centres, PHCs, and government schools. I instructed the officials to resolve the problems identified during my visit. Ultimately, I will do my part to ensure the all-round development of Narva mandal,” he explained.