KCR instructs to formulate New Urban Policy
Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has instructed officials concerned to formulate Telangana State’s New Urban Policy, giving no scope for any corruption and to help in extending services to the people with utmost transparency and to achieve a planned development. He said along with the urban policy, a new rural policy and revenue policy should also to be formulated.
The CM said as part of the new Urban Policy, New Municipal Act, new Corporations’ Act and new Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Act should also be brought in. New Act should also to be put in place for the Hyderabad Metro Development Authority (HMDA) and other Urban Development Authorities for their administration. The CM wanted the officials to come out with the draft proposals on these Acts in the next couple of days and informed that Legislative Assembly session will be called for a brief session to discuss and pass these new Acts.
The CM declared that the new Acts should eliminate the corruption in toto at all levels and should never give any room for any illegal and unauthorized constructions. These Acts should help the cities to be clean, tidy and beautiful with greenery. The CM said the responsibility to ensure that the governance will be in tune with the new Acts would be vested with the officials and elected representatives. The Act will also incorporate stringent punishments against those who resort to dereliction of the duties, the CM clarified. He said necessary guidelines would be incorporated in the Acts to make the Collectors to take an active responsibility to settle matters within the municipalities and the Corporations. He said that no one should be allowed to spend funds as per their whims and fancies but in accordance with the priorities and to solve the problems. He said the municipalities should get income and it should be utilized properly. He wanted the New Acts and policies should be utilized to have methodical administration of towns and cities.
The CM held a high-level review meeting on the State’s new Urban Policy preparation at Pragathi Bhavan on Sunday. Minister Sri Vemula Prashanth Reddy, Government Chief Advisor Sri Rajiv Sharma, Chief Secretary Sri SK Joshi, Principal Secretary Sri S Narsing Rao, Municipal Administration Principal Secretary Sri Arvind Kumar, MAUD Director Mrs Sridevi, Law secretary Sri Niranjan Rao, Kamareddy Collector Sri Satyanarayana, CM Special Secretary Sri Bhoopal Reddy, and others participated.
“Soon after the formation of Telangana State, we have identified priorities of the State. We have given more importance to the welfare sector. We have solved the power crisis. We have solved the drinking water crisis. We are constructing projects for the irrigation water. We have made TS iPass Act for the industrial development. Now the Telangana State has to ascend on one more step. For this we have to enact good policies. We have enacted a new Panchayat Raj Act. Similarly, we have to enact a new Revenue and Municipal Acts. The governance should be on the fast track without any corruption and in a very transparent manner,” the CM observed.
Panchayatraj Conclaves:
The CM said the villages and towns in Telangana State should have a clean and green environment. The newly elected Sarpanches, MPTCs, ZPTCs, MPPs and ZP Chairpersons should involve themselves in the progress and development of the villages. He said it was decided to hold Panchayat Raj conclaves all over the State to create awareness on the new Panchayat Raj Act and the measures taken by the government for the development of the villages. He said these conclaves would be held at four places in the State. Sarpanches, MPTCs, ZPTCs, MPPs, ZP Chairpersons, Panchayat Secretaries, EOPRDs, MPDOs, DLPOs, CEOs will be invited for the conventions. He said the state government has decided to strengthen the local bodies. He said it is decided to spend Rs 7,000 Crore annually and Rs 35,000 Crore in five years for the villages development. The local bodies should prepare themselves to utilize these funds effectively. In the proposed conclaves, the duties and responsibilities of the officials and elected representatives to make the village clean and green will also be discussed.
He said after these conclaves, 100 Flying Squads with the officials would be formed to undertake surprise inspection of the villages. Immediate action will be taken against those who indulge in dereliction of duties and the misuse of funds. The CM wanted a visible change in the village for better in the next three months. He wanted the District Collectors to monitor programme in the villages and an orientation conference will be held in Hyderabad shortly for the Collectors.