Latest news with #DRDA
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Another official arrested for 71cr NREGA scam
Vadodara: Dahod police arrested another official in connection with the Rs 71 crore NREGA scam unearthed in the district. This official allegedly facilitated the allocation of funds for works where the scam took place. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The accused, Hamid Alam, was a contracted employee and worked as the work manager in the district rural development agency (DRDA) in Dahod. He was also the in-charge deputy district programme coordinator. He is currently deployed with the . Sources said Alam played a key role in the scam as he ensured that allocation was done for the works brought by other accused. Irregularities were committed in these works. So far, officials who cleared the bills and were responsible for overseeing works were arrested. Police sought a 14-day remand for Alam's interrogation from a magisterial court, which granted four days. The scam came to light after the DRDA probed complaints of payments being made to agencies that had not won tenders for the supply of material for NREGA works. These agencies included those run by Balwant Khabad and Kiran Khabad, the sons of Gujarat minister of state for panchayats Bachu Khabad. An offence was registered, estimating the scam to be worth Rs 71 crore, and 16 persons have been arrested so far, including Balwant and Kiran. Two more offences were registered for NREGA irregularities in two villages. The Khabad brothers and others were arrested in connection with those offences as well.
Hans India
4 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
Rural Women Step Toward Entrepreneurship with SERP's RAMP Initiative
Gadwal: "Rural Women Step Toward Entrepreneurship with SERP's RAMP Initiative".In a significant move to empower rural women and encourage grassroots entrepreneurship, the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP), in coordination with the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) and the Department of Industries, Telangana, conducted a one-day RAMP (Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance) awareness program at the Mahila Samakhya office in Jogulamba Gadwal on Tuesday. The program was designed to motivate women from Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in rural areas to explore industrial and business opportunities. Addressing the gathering, District Industries Centre General Manager Mr. Ramalingeshwar Goud emphasized the importance of turning rural women into self-reliant entrepreneurs by offering them institutional support, training, and access to finance. Speaking on the occasion, he said, 'This initiative is part of a broader mission by the Telangana Government to bring about inclusive growth by empowering women at the grassroots. Through SERP and DRDA, we are not only creating awareness but also building a strong foundation for sustainable micro-enterprises.' The program highlighted the vital contributions of SERP (Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty) in promoting women empowerment through: Formation of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) Financial inclusion and micro-credit access Skill development in enterprise management and marketing Institutional support for business registration Linkages with banks for credit and subsidy support Following the awareness session, a 15-day capacity-building training program will be offered to selected women participants. This training will focus on industry-specific skills, business planning, product development, marketing techniques, and practical knowledge of running micro-industries. One of the key features of this initiative is the comprehensive support structure provided to the participants. In addition to training, SERP will assist the women in registering their enterprises and obtaining financial aid through bank loans to establish viable income-generating units. Director Madhavi, District Project Manager Ramamurthy, Assistant Project Manager, and several members of local SHG federations participated in the session, sharing success stories and guiding participants on how to leverage the government's various schemes and resources. Participants expressed enthusiasm and gratitude for the opportunity to transform their lives through self-employment and skill enhancement. The event underscored the importance of grassroots-level awareness in enabling rural women to rise beyond poverty and become drivers of local economic development. With SERP at the helm of such transformative efforts, Telangana continues to set an example in rural women's empowerment and inclusive entrepreneurship.
Time of India
7 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Meeting resolves to expedite devpt projects in Madhubani
Madhubani: Fast-tracking development works and resolving public grievances were key outcomes of a district-level coordination and monitoring (DISHA) committee meeting held at the DRDA auditorium in Madhubani on Saturday. Chaired by MP Ramprit Mandal, the meeting brought together legislators, officials and public representatives to address key issues affecting the district. MP Mandal stressed the importance of collective effort. "The cooperation of all stakeholders is crucial for resolving district-level issues and accelerating development works," he said while urging attendees to work jointly for rapid progress. District magistrate Anand Sharma assured prompt action on concerns raised during the meeting. He announced that departmental teams would be formed to investigate complaints related to road conditions, black marketing of fertilisers and problems in water supply and health services. In the review of departmental performance, it was revealed that under the PMAY-Urban scheme, 4,139 houses were sanctioned between 2015-16 and 2018-19. Of these, 3,535 beneficiaries received the first instalment with disbursement continuing for subsequent phases. Also, 76 panchayat govt buildings have been constructed and land has been identified for more. Waste processing units have been completed in 319 out of 386 panchayats while plastic waste management facilities are operational or being set up in various blocks. Out of 1,09,996 identified beneficiaries, 85,265 have received incentive payments. The committee also discussed welfare and infrastructure schemes, including road repairs under PMGSY, agriculture and horticulture projects, drinking water supply through the Nal-Jal Yojana, MGNREGA, health services, food security and child development programmes. Officials assured that damaged roads would be made motorable before the monsoon. "All concerns have been noted, and necessary actions will be taken without delay," the DM said. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
The Hindu
13-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Chief Minister to inaugurate 252 free houses for Sri Lankan Tamils in Tiruvannamalai soon
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin will soon inaugurate 252 houses built for Sri Lankan Tamils living in rehabilitation camps in Tiruvannamalai. Officials of the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) are currently giving finishing touches to these new houses. DRDA officials said that Sri Lankan Tamils have been living in dilapidated single room houses with bare minimum facilities since camps were set up in early 1990s. The new houses are ready for those families living in camps at Sorakolathur and Thenpallipet villages in Thurinjapuram block. 'Currently, painting work is under way in the new houses for Sri Lankan Tamils. The work will be completed within a week,' said S. Aruna, Assistant Engineer at the Block Development Office, Thurinjapuram. On Thursday, Collector K. Tharpagaraj, along with Tiruvannamalai BDO M. Prithiviraj, inspected construction of free houses in Nallavanpalayam village near Tiruvannamalai town. Around 140 houses are being built for Sri Lankan Tamil families living in camps at Athiyandal and Kannandampoondi villages. The construction of most of the houses in Nallavanpalayam will be completed in three months. 'The new house is like a dream coming true for us as all these years we have been living in a cramped house with poor amenities. The new house will provide a safe accommodation for our children,' said R. Pandiammal, a resident. DRDA officials said that of the total 941 houses sanctioned for Sri Lankan Tamils in the district, work on 694 houses, including 140 houses at Nallavanpalayam, is under way. Each house, on an average, will cost ₹8.10 lakh for the State Exchequer. Each house, which will be 291 will have a living room, bedroom, attached washroom and a kitchen. The new house will have a free water connection and power supply. In addition, Over Head Tank (OHTs) will also be built in the camp. The camp with new houses will also get a community centre, a common centre for children and a fair price shop. Approach roads to the camp area from the main road will also be re-laid. Some major areas in Tiruvannamalai where work for free houses has been taken up include Polur (280 houses), Kalasapakkam (160 houses), Tiruvannamalai (136 houses), Arani (111 houses) and Cheyyar (80 houses).
Time of India
10-06-2025
- Time of India
Two engineers arrested for taking bribe
Bhubaneswar: Odisha vigilance sleuths on Tuesday arrested two govt engineers in separate incidents while accepting bribes to clear pending bills under MGNREGS projects in Bargarh and Koraput districts. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In the first case, Susmita Oram, junior engineer (JE) posted at Gaisilet block in Bargarh, was caught red-handed while taking a bribe of Rs 8,000 from a contractor. This amount was the final installment of her overall demand of Rs 32,000 for facilitating measurement and clearing of pending bills related to a road improvement project worth Rs 9.5 lakh. The contractor had already received Rs 3.15 lakh as part of the payment, and Oram had allegedly demanded 10% of this amount as bribe. She had earlier accepted Rs 24,000 and was nabbed while receiving the remaining Rs 8,000. The entire amount was recovered from her possession and seized. Simultaneous searches are underway at two locations linked to Oram. She had joined govt service on Jan 10, 2024, under DRDA, Bargarh, and Gaisilet was her first posting. In another incident, Suchismita Parija, assistant engineer (AE) of Lamtaput block in Koraput, was arrested while accepting Rs 8,000 as the last installment of a Rs 15,000 bribe from a person. The bribe was allegedly taken to facilitate release of payment for labourers engaged in ghat cutting work under MGNREGS. Earlier, she had taken Rs 5,000 and demanded the rest Rs 10,000, which was later negotiated down to Rs 8,000. Vigilance officials recovered the full amount from her govt quarters in Lamtaput. Searches are on at three locations linked to her. Koraput vigilance PS has registered a case.
