Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu recently led a review meeting for the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Department, with Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and relevant officials in attendance. During the review, CM Naidu announced an increase in the budget for Independence Day and Republic Day celebrations for village panchayats, raising it from ₹10,000 to ₹25,000.
He also introduced plans to launch a new mobile app aimed at improving sanitation management in rural areas. Additionally, CM Naidu revealed that the disqualification rule for local body elections, which previously barred candidates with more than two children, has been removed. This change has been formalized with the approval of a legislative amendment bill by the cabinet.
The meeting further addressed proposals to enhance honoraria for local body representatives. The Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Department has submitted these proposals to the government. Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan informed that village assemblies are scheduled to be held on the 23rd of this month, covering a total of 13,326 panchayats.