Swachch Hyderabad: KCR Promises A Lot

Hearing out a number of civic problems from the residents of Parsigutta, Lala Nagar, Shanti Nagar, Amber Nagar and Boudha Nagar, Chilkalguda and more areas of the Secunderabad Assembly constituency, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao assured the residents that his government would provide permanent houses to the homeless like it did in the IDH colony, besides giving pensions to all eligible persons.

During the second day of his tour of slum areas under the "Swachch Hyderabad" program, the Chief Minister sat on the ground along with the people and enquired about their problems. He spoke to them face-to-face in Amber Nagar.

He also inspected a nearby stinking nala. When the people complained that nala overflowed and was flooding the localities during the rainy season and that drainage water was entering their houses, KCR asked them for the reason and to suggest a permanent solution. To this, the slum-dwellers said the problem was arising due to illegal constructions along the open canal, and that it would be solved if the government provided an alternative place for them after dismantling the illegal constructions.

They also complained that many people did not have houses of their own and were forced to pay a monthly rent of four to five thousand rupees.

After a patient hearing, the Chief Minister vowed to transform the area to resemble Banjara Hills. There were many "basthis" (localities) in the twin cities which needed immediate surgery to flush out trash, he said.

He added that there was no dearth of funds to cleanse the stinking slums, and that the government needed only the people's wholehearted cooperation in the gigantic task of solving their problems, including insanitation, pollution, and lack of basic civic amenities and infrastructure.

KCR assured the people that his government was looking for vacant places for construction of houses for the poor. He said that soon the people would get a primary health center, a hospital with all facilities, a vegetable market, a junior college and a degree college in Secunderabad.

The Chief Minister directed the officials concerned to give pensions to widows, old-age persons, beedi workers and other eligible persons.

Appealing to people to regularly clean their homes, premises and streets by dumping dust and trash into dustbins, KCR asked the municipal officials to set up an adequate number of dustbins at all street corners.

"The people should cooperate with the civic staff to take away garbage through two plastic dustbins to be provided free of cost," KCR said.

The Chief Minister also undertook a padayatra in the New Ashok Nagar, Srinivasa Nagar and Raghava Garden areas. He promised to provide housing facility to the people living along the stretch of nalas and those who could not afford hefty rents.

He found that some people had occupied the nalas for temporary shelter. The locals told KCR that they would convince them to vacate the nalas if the government offered them permanent housing. (NSS)