Medak: Use Pattana Pragathi as platform for solving people's problems: Harish Rao

Patancheru: A day before the 'Pattana Pragathi' programme is taken up, Finance Minister T Harish Rao advised the public representatives and officials to treat it as a platform for solving people's problems. He called upon the municipal chairmen, commissioners, councilors and special officers of the combined Medak district (Sangareddy, Medak, Siddipet) to collectively move ahead with a clean-cut plan for the success of 'Pattana Pragathi,' which concludes on March 4. 'You should work realistically and not give poses for photographs', he quipped.

Addressing the 'Pattana Pragathi' sammelanam here chaired by local MLA Gudem Mahipal Reddy, as the chief guest, Rao advised the public representatives and officials to strive for replicating the success achieved during the 'Palle Pragathi' programme.

The minister pointed out that under the new Municipal Act, all including the councilors and commissioners, were answerable. He warned that none could escape punishment if there was no transparency in their working. Rao said although funds worth crores were credited in all civic bodies in the combined district, fresh amounts would be sanctioned for each. He advised the municipal chairmen, commissioners and councillors to work with the special officers as per a clear action plan.

Director of Municipal Administration Satyanarayana informed the meeting that the new Municipal Act with 42 subjects had come into force, while explaining the 13 topics to be focused during the 'Pattana Pragathi' programme. He stated that no permission was required for building houses on 75 yard sites. 'Construction can be taken up after filing an application in sites of sizes 75 to 250 yards after self-certification'. Satyanarayana advised officials to work with the objective of fulfilling the task given by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao of completing public toilets in three months and to ensure that the towns turn beautiful.

Representative of Sahas, an NGO, Dr Shanti suggested segregation of garbage before handing over to the sanitation staff. She explained the success achieved by the NGO in Bengaluru, despite lack of cooperation from the State government. 'With the Telangana government's revolutionary decisions it will be easily possible to turn garbage into manure', she asserted, while calling for conversion of garbage at ward level, instead shifting to dump yards.

Shanti warned of air and water pollution in the event of storing garbage in dump yards, while calling upon staff to work like soldiers to achieve 'zero dump yards'. 'You should learn to be well versed in recycling garbage', she stressed while offering to train interested people's representatives and officials in Bengaluru.

Among those who attended the meeting were MPs Prabhakar Reddy, B B Patil, MLAs Padma Devender Reddy, Ramalinga Reddy, Madan Reddy, Manikya Rao, Kranthi Kiran, Bhupal Reddy, MLC Fareeduddin, collectors Hanumanth Rao, Venkatrami Reddy, Dharma Reddy, RDO Nagesh, tahsildars.