GUNTUR: Stating that the Centre is keen on developing infrastructure in all towns and cities, Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu has added that reforms in the municipal administration system are necessary in this regard.
He said this while participating in the three-day centenary celebrations of the Narasaraopet Municipality on the second day on Saturday. It was necessary for the civic bodies to levy taxes on the people for the development of towns and cities, he said and added that at the same time there should be accountability and transparency in the civic bodies’ administration.
Naidu observed that Narasaraopet had witnessed a lot of development over the years and patted AP Legislative Assembly Speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao for the same. He also praised Rao for his role in promoting the ‘Swachh Bharat’ scheme by getting thousands of toilets built both in the Sattenapalle and Narasaraopet constituencies to arrest the menace of open defecation.
Explaining the various schemes introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre for improving the living standards of the poor and the downtrodden, Naidu maintained that all the nations in the world were now looking to India for its rapid development.
Expressing his concern over the fact that still 22 per cent people in India were illiterates and 20 per cent were still living Below Poverty Line, he added that the government was giving priority for elimination of poverty and achieving cent percent literacy rate.
Earlier, the Union Minister laid the foundation stones for works to the tune of Rs 82.50 cr, including the construction of 1,500 houses under the Prime Minister Aavas Yojana, a Railway Under Bridge and the second phase of the underground drainage system in Narasaraopet.
Speaking on the occasion, Sivaprasada Rao said that the centenary celebrations of the Narasaraopet municipality was aimed at achieving integrated development of the town, He expressed immense happiness over the active participation in the celebrations.
AP Legislative Council Chairman Chakrapani, Health Minister Kamineni Srinivasa Rao, and Narasaraopet MP Rayapati Sambasiva Rao were among those who participated in the celebrations.