State plan to raze huts in the towns

State plan to raze huts in the towns January 3, 2012 Ongole State government will raze thatched houses (huts) in all municipalities of the state through the Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) programme. State government will raze thatched houses (huts) in all municipalities of the state through the Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) programme. Minister for urban development and municipal administration Mr Manugunta Mahidhar Reddy said here on Monday that all slums would be developed under RAY in the municipal town, hence municipal officials should dedicatedly work towards providing basic amenities and other necessities in slums. During a review meet with district officials, the minister claimed that there was no funds crunch for municipal development and announced that Rs.190 crore was sanctioned for the state’s municipalities under the 13th finance commission for developmental activities. Mr Mahidhar Reddy clarified that 271 various developmental works were under progress in 90 municipalities of the state and announced that soon, the second phase of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) would be started in the state with the success of phase-I. He claimed that government had upgraded four major panchayats of the district to town panchayats to resolve the difficulties of growing populations. The minister lamented that municipal officials were collecting very low tax for water as against the huge expenditure for supply. He clarified that 35 per cent water was wasted during supply and directed Ongole municipal officials to curb the wastage and collect total water tax without laxity. The minister added that the government would initiate an action plan to streamline water supply all over the state and soon, uniform norms would be implemented in the state to regulate building constructions. Mr Mahidhar Reddy ruled out funds crunch for potable water supply and clarified that officials were providing drinking water in the identified areas of the district through transportation (tankers) to fulfill public demand. MLAs of Kanigiri, Giddalur, Addanki, Markapuram and Darsi, Messrs Mukku Ugranarsimha Reddy, Anna Rambabu, Gottipati Ravikumar, Kandula Narayana Reddy and Buchepalli Sivaprasad Reddy raised water issues of their constituencies in the meeting.