AMARAVATI: The Panchayat Raj Department has taken steps for vesting the Cheque drawing power to the newly elected sarpanches in the State of Andhra Pradesh, within a weeks' time.

The office of the Panchayat Raj Commissioner held talks with Finance Ministry officials on Monday to register the details of the new sarpanches in the Comprehensive Financial Management System (CFMS). The online registration process will begin on Wednesday. Panchayat Raj Commissioner Girija Shankar told Sakshi that all the sarpanches will be given cheque power within a week.

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As soon as the Finance Ministry allows the registration of details in the CFMS, the Sarpanchs' election certificates, their other identification details and digital signature will be required to be handed over to all Sub-Treasury Offices. Once the registration of these details is completed there, the approval of the District Treasury officials is required.

As the panchayat Elections were not conducted in the State during the previous TDP regime, special officers were operating in the panchayats from August 2018 till the end of the recent panchayat election process. The cheque power was vested with these special officers.

The Cheque drawing power is actually vested with the sarpanch of the Gram Panchayat. In this context, the Panchayati Raj Department has expedited the process of transferring the cheque power to the elected Sarpanches in all the Gram Panchayats who assumed charge from April 3.