Vizianagaram wins MGNREGA National Award

The Union Ministry of Rural Development in the first week of June 2017 selected Vizianagaram as one among the 17 districts across the nation for the MGNREGA Annual Award for effective implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act during 2015-16.

The prestigious award would be presented to the district programme coordinator and District Collector at the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA Sammelan on 19 June 2017 in New Delhi.

Achievements of Vizianagaram

• Vizianagaram, a city and district headquarters of Vizianagaram district in the state of Andhra Pradesh, had generated works for 361668 households in 2015-16 and disbursed Rs 483.42 crore as wages with an average of Rs 106.

• Over 5000 farm ponds, 240 rain water harvesting structures, and 440 water shed works were executed.

• Besides, 3427 minor irrigation tanks were de-silted and restored to their original capacity.

• Using MGNREGA convergence grants, 154 fish- breeding units and an equal number of vegetable pandals, besides fodder production, sericulture, and development of horticulture in 5000 acres of land were taken up.

History of Vizianagaram

• Vizianagaram was ruled by different Hindu emperors of Kalinga.

• The area including Srikakulam in the north was integral part of the domain of Eastern Chalukyas of Vengi during the rule of Kubja Vishnuvardhana.

• The area was under the rule of illustrious Krishna Deva Raya of Vijayanagara Empire too.

• After a brief rule from Golconda, the rule of Nizam state of Hyderabad followed.

• The French defeated and ended the rule of Nizam in 1753, these all districts were thereafter part of French India in 1753. However, French imperialists too could not hold their sway over here for a long time, and were soon driven out from here by British imperialists.

• Rulers of this princely state belong to the Pusapati family.