Minister tours city to know civic issues

Anantapur: Minister for Municipal Administration P Narayana has toured the main fares of the city to study the local civic issues and know the problems of people, here on Thursday. He went around Tilak Road and Gandhi Bazaar in the old town, the road expansion of which have become a bone of contention between the MLA Prabhakar Chowdary and MP J C Diwakar Reddy.

Speaking to reporters, Narayana pointed out that he met people and traders, who opposed the road expansion move while a section of the old town supported it. He said that he would apprise the Chief Minister on the conflicting opinions and take a decision in such a way that it would not adversely affect the interests of the local traders and residents. He also went around the areas of Clock Tower, Kamalanagar, Srikantam Circle, Vidhyuthnagar, Sainagar, old town, Arvindnagar, Ramnagar, industrial estate, Kalyandurg road and other extended areas of the city.

He said that 90 per cent of the roads were good while 10 per cent of the roads were in bad shape. He said that drains and other civic conditions need to be improved and roads expanded in view of the increasing traffic. This is a nationwide phenomenon and needs to be addressed. There was a time when one out of 1,000 had cars and more people used cycles and some motor cycles.

Now, the situation changed and the car strength had multiplied in thousands in every town. He said that he would take steps to improve civic conditions and give a facelift to the city. He said that he would also send a permanent commissioner to the city soon. City Mayor M Swaroopa was also present.