Pattana Pragathi, an ambitious programme envisaging all-round development of urban areas, commenced in all the 140 municipalities and municipal corporations spread across Telangana on Monday.
Conceived on the lines of Palle Pragathi, the programme for strengthening the basic infrastructure in villages, which received enthusiastic response from the people at the ground level, Pattana Pragathi would continue for 10 days till March 4 in more than 3,400 wards and divisions with Ministers and officials at various levels participating in it. A brain child of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, the programme envisages sanitation drive and green initiatives in addition to strengthening the infrastructure like creation of dump yards and educating people about segregation of solid and liquid wastes for effective disposal.
Municipal Administration Minister K.T. Rama Rao, accompanied by Minister V. Srinivas Goud, formally launched the programme in Mahbubnagar while his Cabinet colleagues T. Harish Rao, A. Indrakaran Reddy, Puvvada Ajay Kumar, Sabita Indra Reddy and others participated in the programme in their respective areas. KTR who formally launched works pertaining to infrastructure development in Mahbubnagar warned officials concerned against complacency.
He said the new Municipal Act had provisions paving the way for action against those who were found wanting in meeting the goals set under the new legislation. Mr. Harish Rao who participated in Pattana Pragathi at Sangareddy said the new Municipal Act encompassed both rights and responsibilities of residents and they should accordingly plan the developmental works in their respective areas.
Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar led the officials by participating in the Pattana Pragathi in Ibrahimpatnam municipality on city outskirts. After interacting with the residents and launching some works in the area, he said the government had earmarked 10% of budgetary allocation of municipalities for enhancing the green cover. It was the responsibility of the elected representatives and officials concerned to ensure survival of at least 85% of the saplings that were planted during the green drives conducted from time to time.
With a view to enhancing the participation of residents in planning and development of their areas, the government had decided to constitute four committees with 15 members each in all the wards for effective implementation of the works. The Chief Minister, he said, would soon announce a special drive to improve literacy levels across the State as a recent study had revealed that though the State was ahead of others in terms of welfare and developmental activities, it could do better in terms of literacy rates.