Minister P Narayana addressing a workshop held at Acharya Nagarjuna University in Guntur on Monday. | Photo credit: T. Vijay Kumar
City Administration and Urban Development Minister P. Narayan outlined an ambitious vision to transform Andhra Pradesh into “a state with the best municipal infrastructure in the country”.
Speaking at a state-level workshop organized by the Municipal Department at Nagarjuna University Auditorium in Guntur on Monday, Mr. Narayan said Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has set a three-year target to ensure comprehensive urban development.
“Providing all basic amenities to the city dwellers is the first priority. Under the instructions of the Chief Minister, we have set a goal of complete implementation of water supply, sewage disposal, garbage management, street lights and roads within three years,’ said Mr. Narayan.
He said that the municipal department will finalize the detailed plan of these initiatives by January.
The minister said that there is an ambitious target of providing 135 liters of drinking water per person in all municipalities. However, he criticized the previous administration for not releasing matching funds for central government schemes that delayed infrastructure projects. “If the matching funds had been disbursed earlier, all municipalities would have had such facilities,” he said.
Mr. Narayan has also announced that municipal funds will be allocated directly to municipalities from next April and that local bodies will be empowered to manage their resources efficiently. Municipal commissioners, engineers and other officials were directed to work actively to achieve these goals.
Workshop, MA&UD Secretary K. Senior officials including Kanna Babu, MEPMA Managing Director Tej Bharat, and other officials from all municipalities and corporations of the state participated, stressing cooperation and accountability. “The state government is committed to setting an example in urban governance and aims to establish Andhra Pradesh as a model of municipal excellence in India,” Mr. Narayan said.
“By implementing these measures, we will elevate Andhra Pradesh’s municipalities to the top tier in the nation,” the minister concluded.
published – Dec 24, 2024 at 04:12 pm IST