An Initiative From Everyone Is Required To Transform The Town!

An initiative from everyone, including elected representatives, officials, and mainly from the general public, will go a long way in making the unique 10-day Palle Pragathi program launched by the government, a complete success that would transform the urban landscape of Telangana, TRS working President and Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister KT Rama Rao said.

Stressing the need for collective and committed efforts to develop towns as healthy places to live in, KTR, who was in town to participate in the program, asked citizens, officials and elected members to work as a team to achieve the objectives of Pattana Pragathi.

The Minister along with inaugurating a slew of development works did some quick surprise inspection of ongoing works in the town.

The Minister, explaining the objectives of Pattana Pragathi, said the aim was to convert urban areas into civilised places that could boast of basic amenities and cleanliness.

He asked the people to own their towns saying that only then will they involve themselves fully.

Rama Rao pointed out that CM KCR had clearly said that good sanitation must be given paramount importance both in Pattana Pragathi and Palle Pragathi.

The elected representatives and special officers in municipalities have to fully understand all the aspects of the new Municipal Act, which was formulated in such a manner that its implementation in its entirety could upgrade every town into a model one, he said and called upon corporators to play a proactive role in association with the special officers in designing Green Action Plan and Sanitation Action Plan.

“Planting saplings and maintaining cleanliness might look like small things. But they play very important roles in the overall well being of the citizens living in towns,” he averred. He also instructed the officials to issue notices to vacant plot owners who don’t maintain their sites.

Emphasizing on public participation for the success of Pattana Pragathi, he said people who expect cleanliness and better sanitation conditions should avoid littering streets and open defecation.

Referring to Khammam, he wanted the VeluguMatla Forest Park to be developed as a tourist spot. He wanted officials and corporators to plan for construction of as many as 400 public toilets to address the problem of open defecation. Steps to prevent pigs and dogs straying on the streets have to be taken.

Yellandu Municipality Chairman D Venkateswar Rao and Khammam corporator and TRS town wing president Kamartapu Murali learnt it the hard way that ruling party leaders are no exception when it comes to applying rules.

Minister KT Rama Rao on Sunday asked the two to cough up Rs One lakh each towards penalty for putting up plastic Flexi-banners welcoming him.

“The public has to take responsibility to prevent the use of plastic. No one will be spared if they break the rule. If the public fails to act, they will also have to pay a penalty,” Rama Rao cautioned.

He assured the gathering of addressing issues of reviving railway connectivity to Yellandu, setting up bus depot and podu farmers. The State government accorded equal importance to all Assembly constituencies in terms of development, he said.