‘Swarna Grama’ renaming yet to reflect on ground, confusion persists

Despite government orders issued in February this year to rename village secretariats as “Swarna Gramas,” the directive is yet to be implemented on the ground, leading to confusion among residents and field-level officials.

While official records have begun using the new nomenclature and ward offices are referred to as “Swarna Wards,” most village and ward secretariats continue to function under the earlier designation. Signboards at several offices remain unchanged, and the old terminology continues in everyday use, even as the revised names are being reflected only in official paperwork.

The previous YSRCP government had converted gram panchayats into village secretariats and expanded staffing, a move that later drew criticism over surplus manpower and underutilisation of employees. Following the formation of the coalition government, reforms were initiated to streamline the system based on population, revenue, and administrative requirements. Excess staff were reassigned to other departments, and a mandal-level officer was appointed to oversee secretariat functioning.

Officials acknowledge that the physical rollout of the renaming exercise is still pending. A senior official said, “Orders have been issued and records have been updated, but physical changes such as signage are still under process.”

Residents say the lack of uniform implementation is causing confusion in identifying government offices. “We still see the old boards and hear the earlier name. Only in documents is a different name being used,” said a local resident.

Another official noted that inter-departmental coordination was required to complete the transition. “This is a phased process, and field-level changes will be completed after procedural formalities,” the official said.

Stakeholders have urged the government to expedite the process by updating signboards and ensuring uniform usage of the new nomenclature across all levels to avoid further ambiguity.