Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development K.T. Rama Rao on Wednesday instructed officials and elected representatives of Bhongir municipality to work towards making the town clean, by improving solid waste management and sanitation in all its 35 wards.

Construction of 100 public toilets within two months, replacement of old electric poles, compulsory ward-wise greenery plans, and awareness of local bodies’ annual budget and Panchayat Raj Act 2018, were some of the issues discussed by Mr. Rao under the Pattana Pragathi programme in a closed-door review meeting at the Bhongir municipal office.

Mr. Rao, who was returning from Jangaon, interacted with newly-elected councillors and special officers here, and took stock of challenges in various wards. Under Pattana Pragathi, he assured that he would take a ward-wise padayatra in his next visit here after two months, which would also be the ‘testing time for officials and leaders to improve the conditions and show a beautified Bhongir’.

Speaking to the gathering, according to officials, the MA&UD Minister emphasised the importance of understanding the local body’s annual budget.

According to Mr. Rao, urban local bodies in the State would get ₹148 crore and Gram Panchayats would get ₹339 crore, annually.

And Bhongir municipality, in the first release, would get ₹53.74 lakh, he told officials and representatives, encouraging them to understand its components and plan better.

The Municipal Minister also instructed District Collector Anita Ramachandran to be present in budget sessions of all the six municipalities in Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri with legislators of respective Assembly constituencies.

Special officers were also instructed to ensure biometric attendance of sanitation staff, 28 workers per 10,000 population, as per Swacch Bharat guidelines.

Zilla Parishad chairman A. Sandeep Reddy, local legislator Paila Sekhar Reddy, MLC A. Krishna Reddy, Additional Collector Kheemya Naik and others were present at the review meeting on Wednesday.