Boundary wall sanctioned for SC cremation grounds following Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan intervention

A long-pending demand of residents from Chanupallivari Gudem hamlet in Krishna district has been resolved within a week, following the intervention of Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan. Funds have been sanctioned for the construction of a security wall around the Scheduled Caste (SC) cremation grounds in the village, which had remained unprotected for several years.

Villagers had been facing hardships in performing last rites due to the absence of a boundary wall and increasing encroachments. On October 23, residents of Chanupallivari Gudem, under Madalavari Gudem village in Gannavaram mandal, submitted a petition to the Deputy Chief Minister, seeking his assistance. The representation was made when he was returning from an official programme at the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) campus in Kondapavuluru.

After reviewing the petition, the Deputy Chief Minister immediately instructed Krishna District Collector D.K. Balaji to take necessary steps for the construction of the boundary wall. Acting on these directions, the district administration sanctioned and released the first instalment of ₹10 lakh on October 31 to begin the work without delay.

Officials confirmed that the funds were approved under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), which allows the creation of durable community assets such as cremation grounds, boundary walls, and public facilities.

On the same day, the Deputy Chief Minister also approved another ₹10 lakh for the construction of a boundary wall at Mustabad ZP High School. Both projects are being implemented through the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) under the supervision of the Panchayat Raj Department.

According to officials, the ₹10 lakh sanctioned amount constitutes the first instalment, which will cover the foundation work, material procurement, and initial labour costs. Subsequent instalments will be released in phases based on physical progress and technical verification. Typically, such projects are completed in two to three instalments, and construction is expected to be finished within six to eight weeks.

The implementation process involves technical estimates prepared by engineers from the Rural Development Department, followed by work order issuance through the respective Gram Panchayat. Local MGNREGS workers will be engaged for construction, and their wages will be credited directly into their bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). Monitoring and verification will be carried out by the Mandal Parishad Development Officer and the Panchayat Secretary, with geo-tagged images uploaded to the MGNREGS portal to ensure transparency.

Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan commended Collector D.K. Balaji and the Krishna district administration for their prompt action in addressing the villagers’ grievance. Officials said that the initiative demonstrates the government’s commitment to resolving local issues promptly through direct administrative intervention.

Since assuming charge as Deputy Chief Minister in June 2024, Pawan Kalyan has been overseeing the Panchayat Raj, Rural Development, and Rural Water Supply portfolios. According to official records and departmental data, he has initiated or expedited around 25 to 30 such local-level interventions across the state. These include the construction of cremation ground boundary walls, rural school compound walls, drinking water supply restoration, and small-scale road and drainage repairs.

Of these, eight to ten projects have specifically addressed issues related to SC or ST community cremation grounds, similar to the case in Chanupallivari Gudem. Most of these works were sanctioned under MGNREGS convergence projects and completed within one to two months of approval.

Officials in the Rural Development Department said that Pawan Kalyan’s approach has been to act swiftly on public petitions received during tours or field inspections, often directing district collectors to resolve grievances within days. A dedicated monitoring cell under the Deputy Chief Minister’s office has been tracking the implementation of such projects to ensure accountability.

The latest sanction in Krishna district is expected to bring long-awaited relief to the residents of Chanupallivari Gudem, ensuring that the SC cremation grounds are protected from encroachments and that last rites can be performed with dignity.