Hyderabad: Newly elected sarpanches who celebrated their victory will now have to get down to work. Officials in various districts are holding training programmes for them, outlining all their responsibilities. This includes highlighting the National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS), under which families must pay 500 annually to avail an insurance benefit of 20,000 in the event of the death of the family head. Sarpanches will also be responsible for ensuring that villages do not face water scarcity.In Bhadradri Kothagudem, newly elected sarpanches received training at the Dr Manmohan Singh Institute of Science and Technology (KSM old campus).The training will be conducted in phases for all 471 gram panchayat sarpanches in the district. The first phase is being held from January 19 to 23, while the second phase will take place from February 3 to 7. As part of the first phase, 237 newly elected sarpanches from 14 mandals are participating.The programme aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of village governance, administrative procedures, the Panchayat Raj Act, the responsibilities of sarpanches, and the implementation of rural development programmes. Bhadradri Kothagudem collector Jitesh V Patil advised sarpanches to prioritise basic amenities such as drinking water, sanitation, roads, electricity, and healthcare. He said they should make advance plans to prevent water scarcity and ensure effective use of funds for infrastructure projects such as roads, streetlights, power poles, and public toilets.The collector noted that, despite having several scenic tourist destinations, many areas in the district remain underdeveloped due to a lack of publicity. He urged sarpanches to promote local tourist spots, natural resources, and unique features of their villages, which could boost tourism and strengthen the rural economy.The training programmes, which began in Adilabad district, will continue until February 27 in different phases. In Nirmal, newly elected sarpanches were introduced to their responsibilities under the Panchayat Raj Act and advised to remain accessible to the public so that local issues could be addressed effectively.
