Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka has directed the Panchayat Raj department officials to prepare plans for constructing permanent buildings for gram panchayats that do not have their own buildings within three years.

Addressing a pre-budget meeting with senior officials on Tuesday, he wanted them to explore the possibility of constructing tahsildar and MPDO offices together wherever land was available. Special attention should be given to the health of children in anganwadi centres. He wanted appropriate teaching methods to be introduced in schools for young children along with provision of nutritious food for their healthy development.

He lamented that people, carrying infants, were continuing the practice of begging on roads in urban areas and such children should be brought to Sishu Vihar centres so that necessary steps could be taken for their welfare. Children on the streets were exposed to harsh sunlight and other vagaries resulting in their valuable childhood fading away. Such situation should be not allowed to continue, he said.

The Deputy Chief Minister wanted officials to introduce employment oriented courses in Advanced Technology Centres (ATCs). Companies that signed MoUs with the State government during the global summit should be contacted and courses aligned with industry requirements should be introduced in the ATCs, he said.