Andhra govt to release Rs 1,452 cr fund to local bodies to speed up works

Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister P Keshav on Tuesday said the government will release Rs 1,452 crore as funds to local bodies in the state to speed up works at the village and ward levels. According to directions from Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, it has been decided to release Rs 998 crore to gram (village) panchayats and Rs 454 crore to urban local bodies, he said. "Chandrababu Naidu directed that these funds be used to speed up works at the village and ward levels. The release of these funds will financially strengthen the local bodies," said the Finance Minister in a press release. Alleging that the erstwhile YSRCP government had weakened local bodies, Keshav asserted that the TDP-led government would work for the strengthening of local bodies. Further, he claimed that the YSRCP government had diverted the 15th Finance Commission funds.