Hon. Ex-Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy launched the historic INDIRAMMA programme to create a novel rural/urban Andhra Pradesh through development of villages and municipalities in an integrated manner.

Government have been implementing many programmes over the years for development of infrastructure and on individual welfare. Since there is always a universal aspiration of all the people to be part of this developmental process, the impact of the programmes implemented so far is not quite visible due to the scattered nature of the distribution of the resources. As of now, there is hardly any objective, equitable and verifiable criteria in selection of towns and villages while implementing the programmes. An ad-hoc allocation of money for various programmes has come into vogue instead of using village as a unit for integrated planning. Even while sanctioning programmes and welfare measures all the genuine requirements of the villages/towns are not being considered, resulting in avoidable dissatisfaction among the public. Thus the approach is open ended and not focused.

Keeping the above in view, Andhra Pradesh Government have taken a decision to take up development of model villages and towns with an intention to saturate certain identified basic needs of the people and the village/town Infrastructure In an integrated and focused manner.This is planned to be achieved in a period of three years.

This new model of development is named as "INDIRAMMA" (Integrated Novel Development in Aural Areas & Model Municipal Areas) to fulfill the dreams of our former Prime Minister, Smt, Indira Gandhi.

The objective of this programme is to saturate the basic needs in respect of the identified activities in all the Villages and Towns over a period of Three years. Such development model will ensure overall development of the Villages/Towns in a transparent manner covering additional areas every year. This process will remove the uncertainty and skepticism in certain quarters with regard to coverage of all eligible beneficiaries and the infrastructure needs since all the villages/towns are covered over a period of three years.

The primary aim of this programme is to provide in every village pucca houses, drinking water supply, individual sanitary latrines, drainage, power supply to every household, Road facilities for transport, pensions to eligible old age persons, weavers, widows and the disabled, primary education to all, special nutrition to adolescent girls/pregnant and lactating women and better health facilities in all the villages over a period of three years in a saturation mode, This shall improve the living standards of the people significantly.

This programme will be taken up in all the mandals simultaneously. Taking up Gram Panchayats covering one third of the population in the manadal every year, all the Gram Panchayats will be covered over a period of three years. 8026 Gram Panchayats have been selected for the first phase of the programme starting on 1st April 2006 and the remaining Gram Panchayats will be covered during subsequent two years. Government is ready to launch the programme from 1st April 2006 and Gram Sabhas will be held in the selected Gram Panchayats from 6th February 2006 to give details of the specific activities to be taken up in the village under the programme.